How to pronounce dig
Say it like DIG. Dig is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
- DIG
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Dig pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- DIGSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of dig
American and British speakers say dig in essentially the same way: /dɪɡ/ in the US and /dɪɡ/ in the UK.
British respelling: DIG.
What does dig mean?
- To move hard-packed earth out of the way, especially downward to make a hole with a shovel. Or to drill, or the like, through rocks, roads, or the like. More generally, to make any similar hole by moving material out of the way.“They dug an eight-foot ditch along the side of the road.”
- To get by digging; to take from the ground; often with up.“to dig potatoes”
- To take ore from its bed, in distinction from making excavations in search of ore.
- An archeological or paleontological investigation, or the site where such an investigation is taking place.
- Any act of digging to find or retrieve something.
- A thrust; a poke.“He guffawed and gave me a dig in the ribs after telling his latest joke.”
- To understand.“You dig?”
- To appreciate, or like.“Baby, I dig you.”
Where does dig come from?
The form with g may have been influenced by Old French *diguer, a variant of dikier, itself from the West Germanic verb above.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
- excavation
- jab
- jibe
- delve
- cut into
- turn over
- dig out
- labor
Words that rhyme with dig
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of dig.
Questions about saying dig
How do you pronounce dig?
Say DIG. The American pronunciation is /dɪɡ/. In British English it is /dɪɡ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in dig?
Dig is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: DIG.
Do Americans and Brits say dig the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /dɪɡ/ and the British form is /dɪɡ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.