How to pronounce human
Say it like HYOO-mun. Human has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (HYOO).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce human. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- HYOO
- mun
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Human pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- HYOOSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "oo" in food.
- munKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of human
American and British speakers say human in essentially the same way: /ˈhjumən/ in the US and /ˈhjuːmən/ in the UK.
British respelling: HYOO-mun.
What does human mean?
- characteristic of humanity“human nature”
- relating to a person“the experiment was conducted on 6 monkeys and 2 human subjects”
- having human form or attributes as opposed to those of animals or divine beings“human beings”“the human body”
- any living or extinct member of the family Hominidae characterized by superior intelligence, articulate speech, and erect carriage
Where does human come from?
From Late Middle English humaigne, humayne, humain, from Middle French humain, from Old French humain, umain (“of or belonging to man”, adjective), from Latin hūmānus m (“of man, human”, adjective); see there for further details.
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with human
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of human.
Questions about saying human
How do you pronounce human?
Say HYOO-mun. The American pronunciation is /ˈhjumən/. In British English it is /ˈhjuːmən/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in human?
Human has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (HYOO). Broken into parts: HYOO · mun.
Do Americans and Brits say human the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈhjumən/ and the British form is /ˈhjuːmən/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.