How to pronounce opposite
Say it like OP-uh-zut. Opposite has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (OP).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce opposite. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- OP
- uh
- zut
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Opposite pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- OPSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ah" in father.
- uhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- zutKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of opposite
- The short o is rounded in British English (as in "hot"), but open and unrounded in American English.
British respelling: OP-uh-zit.
What does opposite mean?
- being directly across from each other; facing“And I on the opposite shore will be, ready to ride and spread the alarm”“we lived on opposite sides of the street”
- of leaves etc; growing in pairs on either side of a stem“opposite leaves”
- moving or facing away from each other“looking in opposite directions”“they went in opposite directions”
- a word that expresses a meaning opposed to the meaning of another word, in which case the two words are antonyms of each other“to him the antonym of `gay' was `depressed'”
- a relation of direct opposition“we thought Sue was older than Bill but just the reverse was true”
- a contestant that you are matched against
- directly facing each other“the two photographs lay face-to-face on the table”“lived all their lives in houses face-to-face across the street”
Where does opposite come from?
Inherited from Middle English opposit, borrowed from Old French oposite, from Latin oppositus, perfect passive participle of oppōnō (“to oppose”).
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Questions about saying opposite
How do you pronounce opposite?
Say OP-uh-zut. The American pronunciation is /ˈɑpəzət/. In British English it is /ˈɒpəzɪt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in opposite?
Opposite has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (OP). Broken into parts: OP · uh · zut.
Is opposite pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. The short o is rounded in British English (as in "hot"), but open and unrounded in American English. The British form is /ˈɒpəzɪt/ (OP-uh-zit).