How to pronounce humour
Say it like HYOO-mer. Humour 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 humour. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- HYOO
- mer
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Humour 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.
- merKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "er" in butter.
American vs British pronunciation of humour
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: HYOO-muh.
What does humour mean?
- a characteristic (habitual or relatively temporary) state of feeling“whether he praised or cursed me depended on his temper at the time”“he was in a bad humor”
- a message whose ingenuity or verbal skill or incongruity has the power to evoke laughter
- (Middle Ages) one of the four fluids in the body whose balance was believed to determine your emotional and physical state“the humors are blood and phlegm and yellow and black bile”
- put into a good mood
Where does humour come from?
The shift in meaning "liquid" > "mood" is attributed to the classical system of physiology, where human behavior is regulated by four bodily humors (fluids).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with humour
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of humour.
Words that sound like humour
Questions about saying humour
How do you pronounce humour?
Say HYOO-mer. The American pronunciation is /ˈhjumɚ/. In British English it is /ˈhjuːmə/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in humour?
Humour has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (HYOO). Broken into parts: HYOO · mer.
Is humour pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead. The British form is /ˈhjuːmə/ (HYOO-muh).
What words sound the same as humour?
Humour sounds the same as humor in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.