How to pronounce ice
Say it like EYES. Ice is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce ice. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- EYES
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Ice pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- EYESSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in time.
American vs British pronunciation of ice
American and British speakers say ice in essentially the same way: /aɪs/ in the US and /aɪs/ in the UK.
British respelling: EYES.
What does ice mean?
- water frozen in the solid state“Americans like ice in their drinks”
- the frozen part of a body of water
- diamonds“look at the ice on that dame!”
- decorate with frosting“frost a cake”
- cause to become ice or icy“an iced summer drink”
- put ice on or put on ice“Ice your sprained limbs”
Where does ice come from?
Cognate with North Frisian Iis, is (“ice”), Saterland Frisian Ies (“ice”), West Frisian iis (“ice”), Alemannic German Iis, isch, éisch (“ice”), Bavarian, Cimbrian, and Mòcheno ais (“ice”), Dutch ijs (“ice”), German Eis (“ice”), German Low G
Words that rhyme with ice
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of ice.
Questions about saying ice
How do you pronounce ice?
Say EYES. The American pronunciation is /aɪs/. In British English it is /aɪs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in ice?
Ice is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: EYES.
Do Americans and Brits say ice the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /aɪs/ and the British form is /aɪs/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.