How to pronounce oi
Say it like OY. Oi 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 oi. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- OY
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Oi pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- OYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "oy" in boy.
American vs British pronunciation of oi
American and British speakers say oi in essentially the same way: /ɔɪ/ in the US and /ɔɪ/ in the UK.
British respelling: OY.
What does oi mean?
- Said to get someone's attention; hey.“Oi, you with the red hat – what do you think you're doing?”
- An expression of surprise.“Oi! This is new!”
- An informal greeting, similar to hi.“Oi! How's it going?”
- An exclamation of 'oi'.
- A working-class punk rock subgenre of the 1970s, sometimes associated with racism.
- Alternative spelling of oy.
Where does oi come from?
Variant of the interjection hoy with h-dropping in working class and Cockney speech; first recorded in the 1930s.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with oi
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of oi.
Questions about saying oi
How do you pronounce oi?
Say OY. The American pronunciation is /ɔɪ/. In British English it is /ɔɪ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in oi?
Oi is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: OY.
Do Americans and Brits say oi the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ɔɪ/ and the British form is /ɔɪ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.