How to pronounce san
Say it like SAN. San 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 san. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SAN
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
San pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SANSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
American vs British pronunciation of san
American and British speakers say san in essentially the same way: /sæn/ in the US and /sæn/ in the UK.
British respelling: SAN.
What does san mean?
- An Ancient Greek letter representing /s/ (uppercase Ϻ, lowercase ϻ), originally used in some dialects instead of sigma.
- A sanatorium.
Words that rhyme with san
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of san.
Questions about saying san
How do you pronounce san?
Say SAN. The American pronunciation is /sæn/. In British English it is /sæn/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in san?
San is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SAN.
Do Americans and Brits say san the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /sæn/ and the British form is /sæn/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.