How to pronounce mains
Say it like MAYNZ. Mains 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 mains. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- MAYNZ
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Mains pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- MAYNZSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of mains
American and British speakers say mains in essentially the same way: /meɪnz/ in the US and /meɪnz/ in the UK.
British respelling: MAYNZ.
What does mains mean?
- plural of main How to pronounce main
- The domestic electrical power supply, especially as connected to a network or grid.“I plugged it into the mains and it blew up!”
- A large-scale network or grid supplying any of various other services, such as water, gas or sewerage, to properties.“We have gas heating, but it's bottled gas, not mains gas.”
- The main course of a meal.
- third-person singular simple present indicative of main How to pronounce main
Words that rhyme with mains
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of mains.
Questions about saying mains
How do you pronounce mains?
Say MAYNZ. The American pronunciation is /meɪnz/. In British English it is /meɪnz/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in mains?
Mains is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: MAYNZ.
Do Americans and Brits say mains the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /meɪnz/ and the British form is /meɪnz/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.