How to pronounce poison
Say it like POY-zun. Poison has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (POY).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce poison. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- POY
- zun
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Poison pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- POYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "oy" in boy.
- zunKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of poison
American and British speakers say poison in essentially the same way: /ˈpɔɪzən/ in the US and /ˈpɔɪzən/ in the UK.
British respelling: POY-zun.
What does poison mean?
- spoil as if by poison“poison someone's mind”“poison the atmosphere in the office”
- kill with poison“She poisoned her husband”
- add poison to“Her husband poisoned her drink in order to kill her”
- any substance that causes injury or illness or death of a living organism
- anything that harms or destroys“the poison of fascism”
Where does poison come from?
From Middle English poysoun, poyson, pusoun, from Old French poison, poisun, from Latin pōtiōnem (“drink, a draught, a poisonous draught, a potion”), from pōtō (“to drink”).
Questions about saying poison
How do you pronounce poison?
Say POY-zun. The American pronunciation is /ˈpɔɪzən/. In British English it is /ˈpɔɪzən/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in poison?
Poison has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (POY). Broken into parts: POY · zun.
Do Americans and Brits say poison the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈpɔɪzən/ and the British form is /ˈpɔɪzən/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.