How to pronounce big
Say it like BIG. Big 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 big. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- BIG
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Big pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- BIGSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of big
American and British speakers say big in essentially the same way: /bɪɡ/ in the US and /bɪɡ/ in the UK.
British respelling: BIG.
What does big mean?
- above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent“a large city”“set out for the big city”
- significant“graduation was a big day in his life”
- very intense“a bad headache”“in a big rage”
- extremely well“his performance went over big”
- in a boastful manner“he talked big all evening”
- on a grand scale“think big”
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with big
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of big.
Questions about saying big
How do you pronounce big?
Say BIG. The American pronunciation is /bɪɡ/. In British English it is /bɪɡ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in big?
Big is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: BIG.
Do Americans and Brits say big the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /bɪɡ/ and the British form is /bɪɡ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.