How to pronounce hyphen
Say it like HY-fun. Hyphen has two 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 hyphen. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- HY
- fun
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Hyphen 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.
- funKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of hyphen
American and British speakers say hyphen in essentially the same way: /ˈhaɪfən/ in the US and /ˈhaɪfən/ in the UK.
British respelling: HY-fun.
What does hyphen mean?
- The symbol "‐", typically used to join two or more words to form a compound term, or to indicate that a word has been split at the end of a line.
- Something which links two things of greater significance than itself.
- An enclosed walkway or passage that connects two buildings.
- To separate or punctuate with a hyphen; to hyphenate.
- Used to emphasize the coordinating function usually indicated by the punctuation "-".
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with hyphen
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of hyphen.
Questions about saying hyphen
How do you pronounce hyphen?
Say HY-fun. The American pronunciation is /ˈhaɪfən/. In British English it is /ˈhaɪfən/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in hyphen?
Hyphen has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (HY). Broken into parts: HY · fun.
Do Americans and Brits say hyphen the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈhaɪfən/ and the British form is /ˈhaɪfən/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.