How to pronounce cat
Say it like KAT. Cat 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 cat. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- KAT
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Cat pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- KATSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
American vs British pronunciation of cat
American and British speakers say cat in essentially the same way: /kæt/ in the US and /kæt/ in the UK.
British respelling: KAT.
What does cat mean?
- feline mammal usually having thick soft fur and no ability to roar: domestic cats; wildcats
- an informal term for a youth or man“a nice guy”“the guy's only doing it for some doll”
- a spiteful woman gossip“what a cat she is!”
- beat with a cat-o'-nine-tails
- eject the contents of the stomach through the mouth“After drinking too much, the students vomited”“He purged continuously”
Where does cat come from?
Related to Scots cat (“cat”), North Frisian kaat, kaot, Kat, kåt (“cat”), Saterland Frisian Kat (“cat”), West Frisian kat (“cat”), Alemannic German Chats, Chatz, chatza, chatzu, chatzò, chàzzà, Kàtz (“cat”), Bavarian ckozza, Katz, khoze, kò
Words that rhyme with cat
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of cat.
Words that sound like cat
Questions about saying cat
How do you pronounce cat?
Say KAT. The American pronunciation is /kæt/. In British English it is /kæt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in cat?
Cat is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: KAT.
Do Americans and Brits say cat the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /kæt/ and the British form is /kæt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as cat?
Cat sounds the same as kat in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.