How to pronounce boy
Say it like BOY. Boy is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
- BOY
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Boy pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- BOYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "oy" in boy.
American vs British pronunciation of boy
American and British speakers say boy in essentially the same way: /bɔɪ/ in the US and /bɔɪ/ in the UK.
British respelling: BOY.
What does boy mean?
- A male child.“Kieran plays football with other boys in his school.”
- A young man.“Kate is dating a boy named Jim.”
- A son of any age.
- Exclamation of surprise, pleasure or longing.“Boy, that was close!”
- To act as a boy (in allusion to the former practice of boys acting women's parts on the stage).
Where does boy come from?
Cognate with Scots boy (“boy”), West Frisian boai (“boy”), Dutch boi (“boy”), Low German Boi (“boy”), and probably to the Old English proper name Bōia.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with boy
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of boy.
Words that sound like boy
Questions about saying boy
How do you pronounce boy?
Say BOY. The American pronunciation is /bɔɪ/. In British English it is /bɔɪ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in boy?
Boy is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: BOY.
Do Americans and Brits say boy the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /bɔɪ/ and the British form is /bɔɪ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as boy?
Boy sounds the same as boi in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.