How to pronounce magpie
Say it like MAG-py. Magpie has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (MAG).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce magpie. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- MAG
- py
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Magpie pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- MAGSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
- pyGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "i" in time.
American vs British pronunciation of magpie
American and British speakers say magpie in essentially the same way: /ˈmæɡˌpaɪ/ in the US and /ˈmæɡˌpaɪ/ in the UK.
British respelling: MAG-py.
What does magpie mean?
- One of several kinds of bird in the family Corvidae, especially Pica pica.
- A superficially similar Australian bird, Gymnorhina tibicen, in the family Artamidae.
- Someone who displays a magpie-like quality such as hoarding or stealing objects.
- To mark with patches of black and white or light and dark.
- To steal or hoard (items) as magpies are believed to do.
- To talk idly; to talk about other people's private business.
Where does magpie come from?
From Mag, a nickname for Margaret that was used to denote a chatterer, + archaic pie (“magpie”), from Middle English pie, pye, from Old French pie, from Latin pīca, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)peyk- (“woodpecker, magpie”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying magpie
How do you pronounce magpie?
Say MAG-py. The American pronunciation is /ˈmæɡˌpaɪ/. In British English it is /ˈmæɡˌpaɪ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in magpie?
Magpie has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (MAG). Broken into parts: MAG · py.
Do Americans and Brits say magpie the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈmæɡˌpaɪ/ and the British form is /ˈmæɡˌpaɪ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.