How to pronounce aughts
Say it like AWTS. Aughts 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 aughts. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- AWTS
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Aughts pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- AWTSSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "aw" in law.
American vs British pronunciation of aughts
American and British speakers say aughts in essentially the same way: /ɔts/ in the US and /ɔːts/ in the UK.
British respelling: AWTS.
What does aughts mean?
- The first decade of a century, such as 1900 to 1909 or 2000 to 2009, whose digit in the tens place is zero; the noughties.
- From or evoking the first decade of a century (chiefly the 2000s).“Dialup internet is so aughts.”
Where does aughts come from?
From the sense of aught to refer to the number zero.
Questions about saying aughts
How do you pronounce aughts?
Say AWTS. The American pronunciation is /ɔts/. In British English it is /ɔːts/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in aughts?
Aughts is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: AWTS.
Do Americans and Brits say aughts the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ɔts/ and the British form is /ɔːts/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.