How to pronounce humane
Say it like hyoo-MAYN. Humane has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (MAYN).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce humane. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- hyoo
- MAYN
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Humane pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- hyooKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "oo" in food.
- MAYNSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of humane
American and British speakers say humane in essentially the same way: /hjuˈmeɪn/ in the US and /hjuːˈmeɪn/ in the UK.
British respelling: hyoo-MAYN.
What does humane mean?
- pertaining to or concerned with the humanities“humanistic studies”“a humane education”
- marked or motivated by concern with the alleviation of suffering
- showing evidence of moral and intellectual advancement
Where does humane come from?
From Middle English humain, humayne, from Old French humain, umain, from Latin hūmānus, from Latin homō (“man”).
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with humane
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of humane.
Questions about saying humane
How do you pronounce humane?
Say hyoo-MAYN. The American pronunciation is /hjuˈmeɪn/. In British English it is /hjuːˈmeɪn/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in humane?
Humane has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (MAYN). Broken into parts: hyoo · MAYN.
Do Americans and Brits say humane the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /hjuˈmeɪn/ and the British form is /hjuːˈmeɪn/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.