How to pronounce behind
Say it like bih-HYND. Behind has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (HYND).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce behind. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- bih
- HYND
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Behind 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.
- HYNDSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in time.
American vs British pronunciation of behind
American and British speakers say behind in essentially the same way: /bɪˈhaɪnd/ in the US and /bɪˈhaɪnd/ in the UK.
British respelling: bih-HYND.
What does behind mean?
- in or to or toward the rear“he followed behind”“seen from behind, the house is more imposing than it is from the front”
- remaining in a place or condition that has been left or departed from“when he died he left much unfinished work behind”“left a large family behind”
- of timepieces“the clock is almost an hour slow”“my watch is running behind”
- the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on“he deserves a good kick in the butt”“are you going to sit on your fanny and do nothing?”
- having the lower score or lagging position in a contest“behind by two points”“the 8th inning found the home team trailing”
Where does behind come from?
From Middle English behinde, behinden, from Old English behindan (“on the back side of, behind”), from Proto-West Germanic *bihindan, *bihindini (“on the back side of, in the rear of, behind”), from Proto-West Germanic *bi- + *hindō (“the h
Words that rhyme with behind
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of behind.
Questions about saying behind
How do you pronounce behind?
Say bih-HYND. The American pronunciation is /bɪˈhaɪnd/. In British English it is /bɪˈhaɪnd/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in behind?
Behind has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (HYND). Broken into parts: bih · HYND.
Do Americans and Brits say behind the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /bɪˈhaɪnd/ and the British form is /bɪˈhaɪnd/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.