How to pronounce cut
Say it like KUHT. Cut 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 cut. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- KUHT
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Cut pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- KUHTSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "u" in cup.
American vs British pronunciation of cut
American and British speakers say cut in essentially the same way: /kʌt/ in the US and /kʌt/ in the UK.
British respelling: KUHT.
What does cut mean?
- separate with or as if with an instrument“Cut the rope”
- cut down on; make a reduction in“reduce your daily fat intake”“The employer wants to cut back health benefits”
- turn sharply; change direction abruptly“The car cut to the left at the intersection”“The motorbike veered to the right”
- a share of the profits“everyone got a cut of the earnings”
- (film) an immediate transition from one shot to the next“the cut from the accident scene to the hospital seemed too abrupt”
- a trench resembling a furrow that was made by erosion or excavation
- separated into parts or laid open or penetrated with a sharp edge or instrument“the cut surface was mottled”“cut tobacco”
- fashioned or shaped by cutting“a well-cut suit”“cut diamonds”
- with parts removed“the drastically cut film”
Where does cut come from?
The adjective sense of "drunk" (now rare and now usually used in the originally humorous derivative form of half-cut) dates from the 17th century, from cut in the leg or to have cut your leg, a euphemism for being very drunk.
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with cut
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of cut.
Questions about saying cut
How do you pronounce cut?
Say KUHT. The American pronunciation is /kʌt/. In British English it is /kʌt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in cut?
Cut is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: KUHT.
Do Americans and Brits say cut the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /kʌt/ and the British form is /kʌt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.