How to pronounce fancy
Say it like FAN-see. Fancy has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (FAN).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce fancy. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- FAN
- see
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Fancy pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- FANSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
- seeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of fancy
American and British speakers say fancy in essentially the same way: /ˈfænsi/ in the US and /ˈfænsi/ in the UK.
British respelling: FAN-see.
What does fancy mean?
- something many people believe that is false“they have the illusion that I am very wealthy”
- imagination or fantasy; held by Coleridge to be more casual and superficial than true imagination“never had the wildest flights of fancy imagined such magnificence”
- a predisposition to like something“he had a fondness for whiskey”“she had dismissed him quite brutally, relegating him to the status of a passing fancy, or less”
- imagine; conceive of; see in one's mind“I can't see him on horseback!”“I can see what will happen”
- have a fancy or particular liking or desire for“She fancied a necklace that she had seen in the jeweler's window”
- not plain; decorative or ornamented“fancy handwriting”“fancy clothes”
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with fancy
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of fancy.
Questions about saying fancy
How do you pronounce fancy?
Say FAN-see. The American pronunciation is /ˈfænsi/. In British English it is /ˈfænsi/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in fancy?
Fancy has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (FAN). Broken into parts: FAN · see.
Do Americans and Brits say fancy the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈfænsi/ and the British form is /ˈfænsi/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.