How to pronounce meat
Say it like MEET. Meat 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 meat. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- MEET
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Meat pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- MEETSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of meat
American and British speakers say meat in essentially the same way: /mit/ in the US and /miːt/ in the UK.
British respelling: MEET.
What does meat mean?
- the flesh of animals (including fishes and birds and snails) used as food
- the inner and usually edible part of a seed or grain or nut or fruit stone“black walnut kernels are difficult to get out of the shell”
- the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience“the gist of the prosecutor's argument”“the heart and soul of the Republican Party”
Where does meat come from?
A -ja- derivation from the same base is found in Middle Dutch and Middle Low German met (“lean pork”), from which Dutch met (“minced pork”) and German Mett (“minced meat”) derive, respectively.
Words that rhyme with meat
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of meat.
Words that sound like meat
Questions about saying meat
How do you pronounce meat?
Say MEET. The American pronunciation is /mit/. In British English it is /miːt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in meat?
Meat is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: MEET.
Do Americans and Brits say meat the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /mit/ and the British form is /miːt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as meat?
Meat sounds the same as meet in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.