How to pronounce phoneme
Say it like FOH-neem. Phoneme has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (FOH).
VoiceSpeed
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce phoneme. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
US American/ˈfoʊnim/FOH-neem
UK British/ˈfəʊniːm/FOH-neem
- FOH
- neem
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Phoneme pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- FOHSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "o" in go.
- neemKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of phoneme
- The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh".
British respelling: FOH-neem.
What does phoneme mean?
noun
- An indivisible unit of sound in a given language. A phoneme is an abstraction of the physical speech sounds (phones) and may encompass several different phones.
Questions about saying phoneme
How do you pronounce phoneme?
Say FOH-neem. The American pronunciation is /ˈfoʊnim/. In British English it is /ˈfəʊniːm/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in phoneme?
Phoneme has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (FOH). Broken into parts: FOH · neem.
Is phoneme pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh". The British form is /ˈfəʊniːm/ (FOH-neem).