How to pronounce heap
Say it like HEEP. Heap 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 heap. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- HEEP
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Heap pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- HEEPSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of heap
American and British speakers say heap in essentially the same way: /hip/ in the US and /hiːp/ in the UK.
British respelling: HEEP.
What does heap mean?
- a collection of objects laid on top of each other
- (often followed by of) a large number or amount or extent“a batch of letters”“a deal of trouble”
- a car that is old and unreliable“the fenders had fallen off that old bus”
- bestow in large quantities“He heaped him with work”“She heaped scorn upon him”
- arrange in stacks“heap firewood around the fireplace”“stack your books up on the shelves”
- fill to overflow“heap the platter with potatoes”
Where does heap come from?
From Middle English hepe, from Old English hēap, from Proto-West Germanic *haup, from Proto-Germanic *haupaz (compare Dutch hoop, German Low German Hupen, German Haufen), from Proto-Indo-European *koupos (“hill”) (compare Lithuanian kaũpas,
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with heap
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of heap.
Questions about saying heap
How do you pronounce heap?
Say HEEP. The American pronunciation is /hip/. In British English it is /hiːp/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in heap?
Heap is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: HEEP.
Do Americans and Brits say heap the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /hip/ and the British form is /hiːp/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.