How to pronounce nothing
Say it like NUHTH-ing. Nothing has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (NUHTH).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce nothing. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- NUHTH
- ing
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Nothing pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- NUHTHSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "u" in cup.
- ingKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of nothing
American and British speakers say nothing in essentially the same way: /ˈnʌθɪŋ/ in the US and /ˈnʌθɪŋ/ in the UK.
British respelling: NUHTH-ing.
What does nothing mean?
- a quantity of no importance“it looked like nothing I had ever seen before”“reduced to nil all the work we had done”
- in no respect; to no degree“he looks nothing like his father”
Where does nothing come from?
From Middle English nothyng, noon thing, non thing, na þing, nan thing, nan þing, from Old English nāþing, nān þing (“nothing”, literally “not any thing”), equivalent to no + thing.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying nothing
How do you pronounce nothing?
Say NUHTH-ing. The American pronunciation is /ˈnʌθɪŋ/. In British English it is /ˈnʌθɪŋ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in nothing?
Nothing has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (NUHTH). Broken into parts: NUHTH · ing.
Do Americans and Brits say nothing the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈnʌθɪŋ/ and the British form is /ˈnʌθɪŋ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.