How to pronounce limit
Say it like LIM-ut. Limit has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (LIM).
- LIM
- ut
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Limit pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- LIMSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- utKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of limit
American and British speakers say limit in essentially the same way: /ˈlɪmət/ in the US and /ˈlɪmɪt/ in the UK.
British respelling: LIM-it.
What does limit mean?
- A restriction; a bound beyond which one may not go or proceed.“There are several existing limits to executive power.”
- A value to which a sequence converges. Equivalently, the common value of the upper limit and the lower limit of a sequence: if the upper and lower limits are different, then the sequence has no limit (i.e., does not converge).“The sequence of reciprocals has zero as its limit.”
- Any of several abstractions of this concept of limit.“Category theory defines a very general concept of limit.”
- Being a fixed limit game.
- To restrict; to circumscribe; not to allow to go beyond a certain bound, to set boundaries.“We need to limit the power of the executive.”
- To have a limit in a particular set.“The sequence limits on the point a.”
Where does limit come from?
From Middle English limit, from Old French limit, from oblique stem of Latin līmes, līmit- (“a cross-path or balk between fields, hence a boundary, boundary line or wall, any path or road, border, limit”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Questions about saying limit
How do you pronounce limit?
Say LIM-ut. The American pronunciation is /ˈlɪmət/. In British English it is /ˈlɪmɪt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in limit?
Limit has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (LIM). Broken into parts: LIM · ut.
Do Americans and Brits say limit the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈlɪmət/ and the British form is /ˈlɪmɪt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.