How to pronounce mayhem
Say it like MAY-hem. Mayhem has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (MAY).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce mayhem. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- MAY
- hem
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Mayhem pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- MAYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
- hemGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
American vs British pronunciation of mayhem
American and British speakers say mayhem in essentially the same way: /ˈmeɪˌhɛm/ in the US and /ˈmeɪhɛm/ in the UK.
British respelling: MAY-hem.
What does mayhem mean?
- The criminal offense of maiming a person by depriving them of the use of any of their limbs.
- Often preceded by to cause or make: great confusion, destruction, disorder, or trouble; chaos, turmoil; (countable) an instance of this.“In all the mayhem, some children were separated from their parents.”
- Violent conduct, especially the violent infliction of injury on a person or thing.“The fighting dogs created mayhem in the flower beds.”
Where does mayhem come from?
The etymology of the Old French words is uncertain; they are possibly from Proto-Germanic *maidijaną (“to damage; to hurt; to change; to exchange”) (compare Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐌹𐌳𐌾𐌰𐌽 (maidjan, “to alter, falsify”); Middle High German meidem, meiden (“
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying mayhem
How do you pronounce mayhem?
Say MAY-hem. The American pronunciation is /ˈmeɪˌhɛm/. In British English it is /ˈmeɪhɛm/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in mayhem?
Mayhem has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (MAY). Broken into parts: MAY · hem.
Do Americans and Brits say mayhem the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈmeɪˌhɛm/ and the British form is /ˈmeɪhɛm/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.