How to pronounce five
Say it like FYVE. Five 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 five. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- FYVE
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Five pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- FYVESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in time.
American vs British pronunciation of five
American and British speakers say five in essentially the same way: /faɪv/ in the US and /faɪv/ in the UK.
British respelling: FYVE.
What does five mean?
- the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
- a team that plays basketball
- a playing card or a domino or a die whose upward face shows five pips
- being one more than four
Where does five come from?
The nasal *m in Proto-Germanic *fimf was lost through a sound change known as the Ingvaeonic nasal spirant law.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with five
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of five.
Questions about saying five
How do you pronounce five?
Say FYVE. The American pronunciation is /faɪv/. In British English it is /faɪv/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in five?
Five is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: FYVE.
Do Americans and Brits say five the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /faɪv/ and the British form is /faɪv/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.