How to pronounce hydrogen
Say it like HY-druh-jun. Hydrogen has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (HY).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce hydrogen. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- HY
- druh
- jun
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Hydrogen pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- HYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in time.
- druhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- junKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of hydrogen
American and British speakers say hydrogen in essentially the same way: /ˈhaɪdrədʒən/ in the US and /ˈhaɪdrədʒən/ in the UK.
British respelling: HY-druh-jun.
What does hydrogen mean?
- a nonmetallic univalent element that is normally a colorless and odorless highly flammable diatomic gas; the simplest and lightest and most abundant element in the universe
Where does hydrogen come from?
By surface analysis, hydro- (prefix meaning ‘water’) + -gen (suffix denoting a producer of something).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
- h
Questions about saying hydrogen
How do you pronounce hydrogen?
Say HY-druh-jun. The American pronunciation is /ˈhaɪdrədʒən/. In British English it is /ˈhaɪdrədʒən/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in hydrogen?
Hydrogen has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (HY). Broken into parts: HY · druh · jun.
Do Americans and Brits say hydrogen the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈhaɪdrədʒən/ and the British form is /ˈhaɪdrədʒən/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.