How to pronounce hungry
Say it like HUHNG-gree. Hungry has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (HUHNG).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce hungry. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- HUHNG
- gree
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Hungry pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- HUHNGSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "u" in cup.
- greeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of hungry
American and British speakers say hungry in essentially the same way: /ˈhʌŋɡri/ in the US and /ˈhʌŋɡri/ in the UK.
British respelling: HUHNG-gree.
What does hungry mean?
- feeling hunger; feeling a need or desire to eat food“a world full of hungry people”
- (usually followed by for) extremely desirous“athirst for knowledge”“hungry for recognition”
Where does hungry come from?
From Middle English hungry, from Old English hungriġ, from Proto-West Germanic *hungrug, from Proto-Germanic *hungrugaz (“hungry”); equivalent to hunger + -y.
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Questions about saying hungry
How do you pronounce hungry?
Say HUHNG-gree. The American pronunciation is /ˈhʌŋɡri/. In British English it is /ˈhʌŋɡri/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in hungry?
Hungry has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (HUHNG). Broken into parts: HUHNG · gree.
Do Americans and Brits say hungry the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈhʌŋɡri/ and the British form is /ˈhʌŋɡri/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.