How to pronounce begin
Say it like bih-GHIN. Begin has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (GHIN).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce begin. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- bih
- GHIN
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Begin pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- bihKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- GHINSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of begin
American and British speakers say begin in essentially the same way: /bɪˈɡɪn/ in the US and /bɪˈɡɪn/ in the UK.
British respelling: bih-GHIN.
What does begin mean?
- take the first step or steps in carrying out an action“We began working at dawn”“Who will start?”
- have a beginning, in a temporal, spatial, or evaluative sense“The DMZ begins right over the hill”“The second movement begins after the Allegro”
- set in motion, cause to start“The U.S. started a war in the Middle East”“The Iraqis began hostilities”
- Israeli statesman (born in Russia) who (as prime minister of Israel) negotiated a peace treaty with Anwar Sadat (then the president of Egypt) (1913-1992)
Where does begin come from?
From Middle English beginnen, from Old English beginnan (“to begin”), from Proto-West Germanic *biginnan, from Proto-Germanic *biginnaną (“to begin”), from be- + base verb *ginnaną also found in Old English onginnan.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with begin
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of begin.
Questions about saying begin
How do you pronounce begin?
Say bih-GHIN. The American pronunciation is /bɪˈɡɪn/. In British English it is /bɪˈɡɪn/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in begin?
Begin has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (GHIN). Broken into parts: bih · GHIN.
Do Americans and Brits say begin the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /bɪˈɡɪn/ and the British form is /bɪˈɡɪn/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.