How to pronounce dinner
Say it like DIN-er. Dinner has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (DIN).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce dinner. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- DIN
- er
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Dinner pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- DINSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- erKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "er" in butter.
American vs British pronunciation of dinner
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: DIN-uh.
What does dinner mean?
- the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday“dinner will be at 8”“on Sundays they had a large dinner when they returned from church”
- a party of people assembled to have dinner together“guests should never be late to a dinner party”
Where does dinner come from?
From Middle English dyner, from Old French disner (“lunch”, but originally “breakfast”), (modern French dîner), from Vulgar Latin *disiūnō, *disiūnāre from Latin dis- + iēiūnō (“to break the fast”).
Words that rhyme with dinner
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of dinner.
Questions about saying dinner
How do you pronounce dinner?
Say DIN-er. The American pronunciation is /ˈdɪnɚ/. In British English it is /ˈdɪnə/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in dinner?
Dinner has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (DIN). Broken into parts: DIN · er.
Is dinner pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead. The British form is /ˈdɪnə/ (DIN-uh).