How to pronounce once
Say it like WUHNS. Once 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 once. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- WUHNS
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Once pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- WUHNSSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "u" in cup.
American vs British pronunciation of once
American and British speakers say once in essentially the same way: /wʌns/ in the US and /wʌns/ in the UK.
British respelling: WUHNS.
What does once mean?
- on one occasion“once I ran into her”
- as soon as“once we are home, we can rest”
- at a previous time“at one time he loved her”“her erstwhile writing”
Where does once come from?
From Middle English ones, from Old English ānes, a remodelling (after ān (“one”)) of ǣnes, itself an extension of ǣne (“once”) with the genitive suffix -es.
Words that rhyme with once
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of once.
Questions about saying once
How do you pronounce once?
Say WUHNS. The American pronunciation is /wʌns/. In British English it is /wʌns/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in once?
Once is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: WUHNS.
Do Americans and Brits say once the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /wʌns/ and the British form is /wʌns/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.