How to pronounce do
Say it like DOO. Do is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
- DOO
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Do pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- DOOSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "oo" in food.
American vs British pronunciation of do
American and British speakers say do in essentially the same way: /du/ in the US and /duː/ in the UK.
British respelling: DOO.
What does do mean?
- A syntactic marker in a question whose main verb is not another auxiliary verb or be.“Do you go there often?”
- A syntactic marker in negations with the indicative and imperative moods.“I do not go there often.”
- A syntactic marker for emphasis with the indicative, imperative, and subjunctive moods.“But I do go sometimes.”
- A party, celebration, social function; usually of moderate size and formality.“We’re having a bit of a do on Saturday to celebrate my birthday.”
- Something that can or should be done.“Don’t forget the dos and don’ts.”
- A homicide.
- A syllable used in solfège to represent the first and eighth tonic of a major scale.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
- don't
Words that rhyme with do
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of do.
Words that sound like do
Questions about saying do
How do you pronounce do?
Say DOO. The American pronunciation is /du/. In British English it is /duː/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in do?
Do is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: DOO.
Do Americans and Brits say do the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /du/ and the British form is /duː/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as do?
Do sounds the same as dew, doo, due, deux, du in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.