How to pronounce em
Say it like EM. Em 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 em. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- EM
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Em pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- EMSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
American vs British pronunciation of em
American and British speakers say em in essentially the same way: /ɛm/ in the US and /ɛm/ in the UK.
British respelling: EM.
What does em mean?
- a quad with a square body“since `em quad' is hard to distinguish from `en quad', printers sometimes called it a `mutton quad'”
- a linear unit (1/6 inch) used in printing
Where does em come from?
Attested since 1808. In typography, the em is named after the em quadrat (later called em quad), from m quadrat, a metal type used in letterpress typesetting, which is as wide as the point size of the font.
Words that rhyme with em
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of em.
Questions about saying em
How do you pronounce em?
Say EM. The American pronunciation is /ɛm/. In British English it is /ɛm/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in em?
Em is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: EM.
Do Americans and Brits say em the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ɛm/ and the British form is /ɛm/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.