How to pronounce famine
Say it like FAM-un. Famine has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (FAM).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce famine. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- FAM
- un
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Famine pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- FAMSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
- unKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of famine
American and British speakers say famine in essentially the same way: /ˈfæmən/ in the US and /ˈfæmɪn/ in the UK.
British respelling: FAM-in.
What does famine mean?
- an acute insufficiency
- a severe shortage of food (as through crop failure) resulting in violent hunger and starvation and death
Where does famine come from?
Borrowed from Middle French famine, itself from the root of Latin fames.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with famine
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of famine.
Questions about saying famine
How do you pronounce famine?
Say FAM-un. The American pronunciation is /ˈfæmən/. In British English it is /ˈfæmɪn/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in famine?
Famine has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (FAM). Broken into parts: FAM · un.
Do Americans and Brits say famine the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈfæmən/ and the British form is /ˈfæmɪn/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.