How to pronounce person
Say it like PUR-sun. Person has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (PUR).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce person. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- PUR
- sun
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Person pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- PURSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ur" in nurse.
- sunKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of person
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: PUR-sun.
What does person mean?
- a human being“there was too much for one person to do”
- a human body (usually including the clothing)“a weapon was hidden on his person”
- a grammatical category used in the classification of pronouns, possessive determiners, and verb forms according to whether they indicate the speaker, the addressee, or a third party“stop talking about yourself in the third person”
Where does person come from?
From Middle English persoun, personne et al., from Anglo-Norman parsone, persoun et al.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with person
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of person.
Questions about saying person
How do you pronounce person?
Say PUR-sun. The American pronunciation is /ˈpɝsən/. In British English it is /ˈpɜːsən/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in person?
Person has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (PUR). Broken into parts: PUR · sun.
Is person pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead. The British form is /ˈpɜːsən/ (PUR-sun).