How to pronounce main
Say it like MAYN. Main 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 main. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- MAYN
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Main pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- MAYNSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of main
American and British speakers say main in essentially the same way: /meɪn/ in the US and /meɪn/ in the UK.
British respelling: MAYN.
What does main mean?
- most important element“the chief aim of living”“the main doors were of solid glass”
- (of a clause) capable of standing syntactically alone as a complete sentence“the main (or independent) clause in a complex sentence has at least a subject and a verb”
- of force; of the greatest possible intensity“by main strength”
- any very large body of (salt) water
- a principal pipe in a system that distributes water or gas or electricity or that collects sewage
Where does main come from?
The word is cognate with Old High German megīn (“strong, mighty”) (modern German Möge, Vermögen (“power, wealth”)), and also akin to Old English magan (“to be able to”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with main
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of main.
Words that sound like main
Questions about saying main
How do you pronounce main?
Say MAYN. The American pronunciation is /meɪn/. In British English it is /meɪn/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in main?
Main is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: MAYN.
Do Americans and Brits say main the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /meɪn/ and the British form is /meɪn/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as main?
Main sounds the same as mane in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.