How to pronounce Mississippi
Say it like mis-ih-SIP-ee. Mississippi has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the third one (SIP).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce Mississippi. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- mis
- ih
- SIP
- ee
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Mississippi pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- misGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- ihKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- SIPSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- eeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of Mississippi
American and British speakers say Mississippi in essentially the same way: /ˌmɪsɪˈsɪpi/ in the US and /ˌmɪsɪˈsɪpi/ in the UK.
British respelling: mis-ih-SIP-ee.
What does Mississippi mean?
- A state of the United States.
- A major river in the United States, flowing southward from north-central Minnesota through Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Minnesota and Louisiana, emptying into the Gulf of Mexico.
- A river in Canada that flows from eastern Ontario into the Ottawa River.
Where does Mississippi come from?
Borrowed from Ojibwe misi-ziibi, ᒥᓯ᐀ᓰᐱ (misi-siipi, “great river”).
Words that rhyme with Mississippi
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of Mississippi.
Questions about saying Mississippi
How do you pronounce Mississippi?
Say mis-ih-SIP-ee. The American pronunciation is /ˌmɪsɪˈsɪpi/. In British English it is /ˌmɪsɪˈsɪpi/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in Mississippi?
Mississippi has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the third one (SIP). Broken into parts: mis · ih · SIP · ee.
Do Americans and Brits say Mississippi the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˌmɪsɪˈsɪpi/ and the British form is /ˌmɪsɪˈsɪpi/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.