How to pronounce boom
Say it like BOOM. Boom 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 boom. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- BOOM
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Boom pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- BOOMSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "oo" in food.
American vs British pronunciation of boom
American and British speakers say boom in essentially the same way: /bum/ in the US and /buːm/ in the UK.
British respelling: BOOM.
What does boom mean?
- make a resonant sound, like artillery“His deep voice boomed through the hall”
- hit hard“He smashed a 3-run homer”
- be the case that thunder is being heard“Whenever it thunders, my dog crawls under the bed”
- a deep prolonged loud noise
- a state of economic prosperity
- a sudden happening that brings good fortune (as a sudden opportunity to make money)
Where does boom come from?
Onomatopoeic, perhaps borrowed; compare German bummen, Dutch bommen (“to hum, buzz”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with boom
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of boom.
Questions about saying boom
How do you pronounce boom?
Say BOOM. The American pronunciation is /bum/. In British English it is /buːm/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in boom?
Boom is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: BOOM.
Do Americans and Brits say boom the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /bum/ and the British form is /buːm/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.