How to pronounce million
Say it like MIL-yun. Million has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (MIL).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce million. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- MIL
- yun
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Million pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- MILSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- yunKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of million
American and British speakers say million in essentially the same way: /ˈmɪljən/ in the US and /ˈmɪljən/ in the UK.
British respelling: MIL-yun.
What does million mean?
- the number that is represented as a one followed by 6 zeros
- a very large indefinite number (usually hyperbole)“there were millions of flies”
- (in Roman numerals, M written with a macron over it) denoting a quantity consisting of 1,000,000 items or units
Where does million come from?
Inherited from Middle English milioun, from Middle French milion, from Old French millon, from Italian milione (“million”, from mille (“thousand”, from Latin mille) + -one).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with million
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of million.
Questions about saying million
How do you pronounce million?
Say MIL-yun. The American pronunciation is /ˈmɪljən/. In British English it is /ˈmɪljən/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in million?
Million has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (MIL). Broken into parts: MIL · yun.
Do Americans and Brits say million the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈmɪljən/ and the British form is /ˈmɪljən/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.