How to pronounce anything
Say it like EN-ee-thing. Anything has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (EN).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce anything. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- EN
- ee
- thing
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Anything pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- ENSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- eeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- thingGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of anything
American and British speakers say anything in essentially the same way: /ˈɛniˌθɪŋ/ in the US and /ˈɛnɪˌθɪŋ/ in the UK.
British respelling: EN-ih-thing.
What does anything mean?
- Any object, act, state, event, or fact whatsoever; a thing of any kind; something or other.“I would not do it for anything.”
- Expressing an indefinite comparison.
- Someone or something of importance.
- Used as a placeholder verb for any verb out of a set of related verbs.“He wasn't cooking, he wasn't sweeping, he wasn't anythinging!”
Where does anything come from?
From Middle English anything, enything, onything, from Late Old English aniþing, from earlier ǣniġ þing (literally “any thing”), equivalent to any + thing.
Questions about saying anything
How do you pronounce anything?
Say EN-ee-thing. The American pronunciation is /ˈɛniˌθɪŋ/. In British English it is /ˈɛnɪˌθɪŋ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in anything?
Anything has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (EN). Broken into parts: EN · ee · thing.
Do Americans and Brits say anything the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈɛniˌθɪŋ/ and the British form is /ˈɛnɪˌθɪŋ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.