How to pronounce hug
Say it like HUHG. Hug 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 hug. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- HUHG
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Hug pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- HUHGSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "u" in cup.
American vs British pronunciation of hug
American and British speakers say hug in essentially the same way: /hʌɡ/ in the US and /hʌɡ/ in the UK.
British respelling: HUHG.
What does hug mean?
- hold (someone) tightly in your arms, usually with fondness“Hug me, please”“They embraced”
- fit closely or tightly“The dress hugged her hips”
Where does hug come from?
From earlier hugge (“to embrace, clasp with the arms”) (1560), probably representing a conflation of huck (“to crouch, huddle down”) and Old Norse hugga (“to comfort, console”), from hugr (“mind, heart, thought”), from Proto-Germanic *hugiz
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with hug
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of hug.
Questions about saying hug
How do you pronounce hug?
Say HUHG. The American pronunciation is /hʌɡ/. In British English it is /hʌɡ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in hug?
Hug is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: HUHG.
Do Americans and Brits say hug the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /hʌɡ/ and the British form is /hʌɡ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.