lacking originality, freshness, or novelty; drearily commonplace and often predictable; trite
Here is my paraphrase of what the Usage Note in the American Heritage Dictionary has to say about the pronunciation of banal: There is little agreement and much confusion over the pronunciation of banal. Possible pronunciations include BAY-null (rhyming with anal), buh-NAL (rhyming with canal), and bun-ALL (the last syllable rhyming with doll). The note concludes with this diplomatic gesture: “Speakers can perhaps take comfort in knowing that any one of [these] pronunciations will have the support of a substantial minority and that none of them is incorrect. When several pronunciations of a word are widely used, there is really no right or wrong one.” Still, I would avoid the first pronunciation, as it sounds too similar to “anal.”
From The Double: “That’s just coincidence, simple, banal coincidence.”
Karl, I’m glad to see you list *all* the pronunciations of “banal.” Speaking of “canal,” my roommate, Javier, is from Panama, and is an expert in cooking Panamanian food. The Panamanians use a lot of coconut milk in their cuisine, much like the Thai. His cooking, like your website, is never “banal,” and both keep me coming back for more.
I am doing a paper and i need to know if this word is still used today. please get back at me soon as possible.
Hi Dominique,
“Banal” is, indeed, still used today. If you feel uncomfortable using it, “trite” is a nice alternative.
Have never heard it pronounced BAY-null. Have only heard it pronounced BUH-nahl.
My friends and myself pronounce it “baynull” but we’re from the PNW. I think it gives greater emphasis to the word. But then again many people from my area also use “buhnall”.