How to pronounce honeycomb
Say it like HUHN-ee-kohm. Honeycomb has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (HUHN).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce honeycomb. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- HUHN
- ee
- kohm
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Honeycomb pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- HUHNSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "u" in cup.
- eeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- kohmGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "o" in go.
American vs British pronunciation of honeycomb
- The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh".
British respelling: HUHN-ee-kohm.
What does honeycomb mean?
- A substance made by bees (clade Anthophila) primarily from beeswax which has hexagonal cells to hold their larvae, and for storing pollen and honey to feed the larvae and themselves when other food is scarce; it is also eaten by humans as part of comb-honey; (countable) a single sheet made up of two
- Something resembling honeycomb (noun sense 1) in having numerous cells or small holes.“The wood porch was a honeycomb of termite tunnels before we replaced it.”
- A space-filling packing of polytopes in three- or higher-dimensional space.
- To riddle (something) with small holes, especially in a pattern resembling a honeycomb (noun sense 1); also, to cause (something) to become hollow or weakened in this way.
- To bore cavities or tunnels inside (something).“Termites will honeycomb a porch made of untreated pine.”
- To decorate (something) with a honeycomb pattern.
Where does honeycomb come from?
The noun is derived from Middle English honycomb, from Old English huniġcamb, from huniġ (“honey”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kn̥h₂ónks (“honey”)) + camb (“comb”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵómbʰos (“peg; tooth; row of teeth”)).
Questions about saying honeycomb
How do you pronounce honeycomb?
Say HUHN-ee-kohm. The American pronunciation is /ˈhʌniˌkoʊm/. In British English it is /ˈhʌnikəʊm/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in honeycomb?
Honeycomb has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (HUHN). Broken into parts: HUHN · ee · kohm.
Is honeycomb pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh". The British form is /ˈhʌnikəʊm/ (HUHN-ee-kohm).