How to pronounce can
Say it like KAN. Can 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 can. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- KAN
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Can pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- KANSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
American vs British pronunciation of can
American and British speakers say can in essentially the same way: /kæn/ in the US and /kæn/ in the UK.
British respelling: KAN.
What does can mean?
- preserve in a can or tin“tinned foods are not very tasty”
- terminate the employment of; discharge from an office or position“The boss fired his secretary today”“The company terminated 25% of its workers”
- airtight sealed metal container for food or drink or paint etc.
- the quantity contained in a can
- a buoy with a round bottom and conical top
Where does can come from?
From Middle English can, first and third person singular of connen, cunnen (“to be able, know how”), from Old English can(n), first and third person singular of cunnan (“to know how”), from Proto-West Germanic *kunnan, from Proto-Germanic *
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with can
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of can.
Questions about saying can
How do you pronounce can?
Say KAN. The American pronunciation is /kæn/. In British English it is /kæn/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in can?
Can is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: KAN.
Do Americans and Brits say can the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /kæn/ and the British form is /kæn/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.