How to pronounce midnight
Say it like MID-nyte. Midnight has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (MID).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce midnight. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- MID
- nyte
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Midnight pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- MIDSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- nyteGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "i" in time.
American vs British pronunciation of midnight
American and British speakers say midnight in essentially the same way: /ˈmɪdˌnaɪt/ in the US and /ˈmɪdˌnaɪt/ in the UK.
British respelling: MID-nyte.
What does midnight mean?
- 12 o'clock at night; the middle of the night“young children should not be allowed to stay up until midnight”
Where does midnight come from?
From Middle English midnight, from Old English midniht, from Proto-Germanic *midjanahts (“midnight”), equivalent to mid- + night.
Questions about saying midnight
How do you pronounce midnight?
Say MID-nyte. The American pronunciation is /ˈmɪdˌnaɪt/. In British English it is /ˈmɪdˌnaɪt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in midnight?
Midnight has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (MID). Broken into parts: MID · nyte.
Do Americans and Brits say midnight the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈmɪdˌnaɪt/ and the British form is /ˈmɪdˌnaɪt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.