How to pronounce my
Say it like MY. My 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 my. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- MY
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
My pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- MYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in time.
American vs British pronunciation of my
American and British speakers say my in essentially the same way: /maɪ/ in the US and /maɪ/ in the UK.
British respelling: MY.
What does my mean?
- Belonging to me.“I can't find my book.”
- Associated with me.“My seat at the restaurant was uncomfortable.”
- Related to me.“My parents won't let me go out tonight.”
- Used to express surprise, shock or amazement.“My, what big teeth you have!”
Where does my come from?
Cognate with West Frisian myn (“my”), Afrikaans my (“my”), Dutch mijn (“my”), German mein (“my”), Swedish min (“my”).
Words that rhyme with my
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of my.
Questions about saying my
How do you pronounce my?
Say MY. The American pronunciation is /maɪ/. In British English it is /maɪ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in my?
My is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: MY.
Do Americans and Brits say my the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /maɪ/ and the British form is /maɪ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.