How to pronounce chance
Say it like CHANS. Chance 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 chance. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- CHANS
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Chance pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- CHANSSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
American vs British pronunciation of chance
- British speakers use the long "ah" vowel of father where Americans use the "a" of cat.
British respelling: CHAHNS.
What does chance mean?
- a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances“the holiday gave us the opportunity to visit Washington”“now is your chance”
- an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another“bad luck caused his downfall”“we ran into each other by pure chance”
- a risk involving danger“you take a chance when you let her drive”
- be the case by chance“I chanced to meet my old friend in the street”
- take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome“When you buy these stocks you are gambling”
- come upon, as if by accident; meet with“We find this idea in Plato”“I happened upon the most wonderful bakery not very far from here”
- occurring or appearing or singled out by chance“seek help from casual passers-by”“a casual meeting”
Where does chance come from?
From Middle English chance, cheance, chaunce, cheaunce, a borrowing from Old French cheance (“accident, chance, luck”), from Vulgar Latin *cadentia (“falling”), from Latin cadere (“to fall, to die, to happen, occur”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with chance
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of chance.
Questions about saying chance
How do you pronounce chance?
Say CHANS. The American pronunciation is /tʃæns/. In British English it is /tʃɑːns/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in chance?
Chance is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: CHANS.
Is chance pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. British speakers use the long "ah" vowel of father where Americans use the "a" of cat. The British form is /tʃɑːns/ (CHAHNS).