How to pronounce fat
Say it like FAT. Fat is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
- FAT
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Fat pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- FATSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
American vs British pronunciation of fat
American and British speakers say fat in essentially the same way: /fæt/ in the US and /fæt/ in the UK.
British respelling: FAT.
What does fat mean?
- Thick; large.“The fat wallets of the men from the city brought joy to the peddlers.”
- Bulbous; rotund.
- Bountiful.
- A specialized animal tissue with high lipid content, used for long-term storage of energy: fat tissue.“Mammals that hibernate have plenty of fat to keep them warm during the winter.”
- Such tissue as food: the fatty portion of (or trimmings from) meat cuts.“Ask the butcher for a few pounds of fat for our greens.”
- A lipid that is solid at room temperature, which fat tissue contains and which is also found in the blood circulation; sometimes, a refined substance chemically resembling such naturally occurring lipids.
- To hit (a golf ball) with a fat shot.
Where does fat come from?
From Middle English fat, from Old English fǣtt (“fatted, fat”), from Proto-West Germanic *faitid (“fatted”), originally the past participle of the verb *faitijan (“to make fat”), from *fait (“fat”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with fat
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of fat.
Words that sound like fat
Questions about saying fat
How do you pronounce fat?
Say FAT. The American pronunciation is /fæt/. In British English it is /fæt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in fat?
Fat is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: FAT.
Do Americans and Brits say fat the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /fæt/ and the British form is /fæt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as fat?
Fat sounds the same as phat in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.