How to pronounce heat
Say it like HEET. Heat 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 heat. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- HEET
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Heat pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- HEETSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of heat
American and British speakers say heat in essentially the same way: /hit/ in the US and /hiːt/ in the UK.
British respelling: HEET.
What does heat mean?
- a form of energy that is transferred by a difference in temperature
- the presence of heat
- the sensation caused by heat energy
- make hot or hotter“the sun heats the oceans”“heat the water on the stove”
- provide with heat“heat the house”
- arouse or excite feelings and passions“The ostentatious way of living of the rich ignites the hatred of the poor”“The refugees' fate stirred up compassion around the world”
Where does heat come from?
From Middle English hete, from Old English hǣtu, from Proto-West Germanic *haitī, from Proto-Germanic *haitį̄ (“heat”), from Proto-Indo-European *keHy- (“heat; hot”).
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with heat
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of heat.
Questions about saying heat
How do you pronounce heat?
Say HEET. The American pronunciation is /hit/. In British English it is /hiːt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in heat?
Heat is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: HEET.
Do Americans and Brits say heat the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /hit/ and the British form is /hiːt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.