How to pronounce meantime
Say it like MEEN-tyme. Meantime has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (MEEN).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce meantime. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- MEEN
- tyme
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Meantime pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- MEENSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- tymeGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "i" in time.
American vs British pronunciation of meantime
American and British speakers say meantime in essentially the same way: /ˈminˌtaɪm/ in the US and /ˈmiːnˌtaɪm/ in the UK.
British respelling: MEEN-tyme.
What does meantime mean?
- the time between one event, process, or period and another“meanwhile the socialists are running the government”
- during the intervening time“meanwhile I will not think about the problem”“meantime he was attentive to his other interests”
Where does meantime come from?
From Middle English menetime, equivalent to mean + time.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying meantime
How do you pronounce meantime?
Say MEEN-tyme. The American pronunciation is /ˈminˌtaɪm/. In British English it is /ˈmiːnˌtaɪm/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in meantime?
Meantime has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (MEEN). Broken into parts: MEEN · tyme.
Do Americans and Brits say meantime the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈminˌtaɪm/ and the British form is /ˈmiːnˌtaɪm/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.