How to pronounce housewife
Say it like HOWS-wyfe. Housewife has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (HOWS).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce housewife. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- HOWS
- wyfe
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Housewife pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- HOWSSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ow" in now.
- wyfeGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "i" in time.
American vs British pronunciation of housewife
American and British speakers say housewife in essentially the same way: /ˈhaʊsˌwaɪf/ in the US and /ˈhaʊsˌwaɪf/ in the UK.
British respelling: HOWS-wyfe.
What does housewife mean?
- A woman whose main employment is homemaking, maintaining the upkeep of her home and tending to household affairs; often, such a woman whose sole [unpaid] employment is homemaking.
- The wife of a householder; the mistress of a family; the female head of a household.
- A little case or bag for materials used in sewing, and for other articles of female work.
- Alternative form of housewive.
Where does housewife come from?
From Middle English houswyf, housewif, huswijf, equivalent to house + wife; a doublet of hussy, which it was long distinguished from and displaced due to gradual negative connotation (see Online Etymology Dictionary entry).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying housewife
How do you pronounce housewife?
Say HOWS-wyfe. The American pronunciation is /ˈhaʊsˌwaɪf/. In British English it is /ˈhaʊsˌwaɪf/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in housewife?
Housewife has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (HOWS). Broken into parts: HOWS · wyfe.
Do Americans and Brits say housewife the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈhaʊsˌwaɪf/ and the British form is /ˈhaʊsˌwaɪf/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.