How to pronounce cunning
Say it like KUHN-ing. Cunning has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (KUHN).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce cunning. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- KUHN
- ing
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Cunning pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- KUHNSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "u" in cup.
- ingKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of cunning
American and British speakers say cunning in essentially the same way: /ˈkʌnɪŋ/ in the US and /ˈkʌnɪŋ/ in the UK.
British respelling: KUHN-ing.
What does cunning mean?
- Practical knowledge or experience; aptitude in performance; skill, proficiency; dexterity.
- Practical skill employed in a secret or crafty manner; craft; artifice; skillful deceit; art or magic.
- The disposition to employ one's skill in an artful manner; craftiness; guile; artifice; skill of being cunning, sly, conniving, or deceitful.
- Sly; crafty; clever in surreptitious behavior.
- Cute, appealing.
Where does cunning come from?
From Middle English cunning, kunning, konnyng, alteration of earlier Middle English cunninde, kunnende, cunnand, from Old English cunnende, present participle of cunnan (“to know how to, be able to”), equivalent to con + -ing.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with cunning
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of cunning.
Questions about saying cunning
How do you pronounce cunning?
Say KUHN-ing. The American pronunciation is /ˈkʌnɪŋ/. In British English it is /ˈkʌnɪŋ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in cunning?
Cunning has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (KUHN). Broken into parts: KUHN · ing.
Do Americans and Brits say cunning the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈkʌnɪŋ/ and the British form is /ˈkʌnɪŋ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.