How to pronounce say
Say it like SAY. Say 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 say. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SAY
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Say pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SAYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of say
American and British speakers say say in essentially the same way: /seɪ/ in the US and /seɪ/ in the UK.
British respelling: SAY.
What does say mean?
- express in words“He said that he wanted to marry her”“tell me what is bothering you”
- report or maintain“He alleged that he was the victim of a crime”“He said it was too late to intervene in the war”
- express a supposition“Let us say that he did not tell the truth”“Let's say you had a lot of money--what would you do?”
- the chance to speak“let him have his say”
Where does say come from?
The adverb and interjection are from the verb.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with say
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of say.
Words that sound like say
- c'est
Questions about saying say
How do you pronounce say?
Say SAY. The American pronunciation is /seɪ/. In British English it is /seɪ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in say?
Say is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SAY.
Do Americans and Brits say say the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /seɪ/ and the British form is /seɪ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as say?
Say sounds the same as c'est in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.