How to pronounce joy
Say it like JOY. Joy is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
- JOY
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Joy pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- JOYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "oy" in boy.
American vs British pronunciation of joy
American and British speakers say joy in essentially the same way: /dʒɔɪ/ in the US and /dʒɔɪ/ in the UK.
British respelling: JOY.
What does joy mean?
- A feeling of extreme happiness or cheerfulness, especially related to the acquisition or expectation of something good.“a child's joy on Christmas morning”
- Anything that causes such a feeling.“the joys and demands of parenthood”
- Luck or success; a positive outcome.
- Expressing appreciation and happiness.
- To feel joy, to rejoice.
Where does joy come from?
The verb is from Middle English joyen, joȝen, joien, from Old French jöir, from the Old French noun (see above).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
- infelicity
- joylessness
- unhappiness
- sorrow
Words that rhyme with joy
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of joy.
Questions about saying joy
How do you pronounce joy?
Say JOY. The American pronunciation is /dʒɔɪ/. In British English it is /dʒɔɪ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in joy?
Joy is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: JOY.
Do Americans and Brits say joy the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /dʒɔɪ/ and the British form is /dʒɔɪ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.