How to pronounce arms
Say it like ARMZ. Arms is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce arms. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- ARMZ
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Arms pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- ARMZSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ah" in father.
American vs British pronunciation of arms
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: AHMZ.
What does arms mean?
- weapons considered collectively
- the official symbols of a family, state, etc.
Where does arms come from?
From Middle English armes, from Old French armes, from Latin arma (“weapons”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂er-mo-, a suffixed form of *h₂er- (“to fit together”), hence ultimately cognate with etymology 2.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying arms
How do you pronounce arms?
Say ARMZ. The American pronunciation is /ɑrmz/. In British English it is /ɑːmz/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in arms?
Arms is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: ARMZ.
Is arms pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead. The British form is /ɑːmz/ (AHMZ).