How to pronounce it
Say it like IT. It 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 it. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- IT
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
It pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- ITSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of it
American and British speakers say it in essentially the same way: /ɪt/ in the US and /ɪt/ in the UK.
British respelling: IT.
What does it mean?
- The third-person singular neuter personal pronoun used to refer to an inanimate object, abstract entity, or non-human living thing.“Take this book and put it on the shelf.”
- A third-person singular personal pronoun used to refer to a baby or child, especially of unknown gender.“She took the baby and held it in her arms.”
- A third-person singular pronoun used to refer to an unspecified person.
- One who is neither a he nor a she; a creature; a dehumanized being.
- The person who chases and tries to catch the other players in the playground game of tag.“In the next game, Adam and Tom will be it…”
- A game of tag.“Let's play it at breaktime.”
- Most fashionable, popular, or in vogue.
Where does it come from?
Cognate with Yola it, t', yt (“it”), North Frisian at, et, 't (“it”), Saterland Frisian et (“it”), West Frisian it (“it”), Dutch het (“it”), Luxembourgish hatt (“her, it, she”), Elfdalian eð (“it”); also Primitive Irish ᚕᚑᚔ (koi, “here”), L
Words that rhyme with it
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of it.
Questions about saying it
How do you pronounce it?
Say IT. The American pronunciation is /ɪt/. In British English it is /ɪt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in it?
It is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: IT.
Do Americans and Brits say it the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ɪt/ and the British form is /ɪt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.