How to pronounce seesaw
Say it like SEE-saw. Seesaw has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (SEE).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce seesaw. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SEE
- saw
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Seesaw pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SEESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- sawKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "aw" in law.
American vs British pronunciation of seesaw
American and British speakers say seesaw in essentially the same way: /ˈsisɔ/ in the US and /ˈsiːsɔː/ in the UK.
British respelling: SEE-saw.
What does seesaw mean?
- A structure composed of a plank, balanced in the middle, used as a game in which one person goes up as the other goes down.
- The game or pastime of seesawing.
- A series of up-and-down movements.
- To use a seesaw.
- To fluctuate.
- To cause to move backward and forward in a seesaw fashion.
- Fluctuating.
Where does seesaw come from?
Probably a frequentative imitative of rhythmic back-and-forth, up-and-down or zigzagging motion, such as teeter-totter, zigzag, flip-flop, ping pong, etc., under the umbrella term of reduplication; also likely influenced by the verbs see an
Questions about saying seesaw
How do you pronounce seesaw?
Say SEE-saw. The American pronunciation is /ˈsisɔ/. In British English it is /ˈsiːsɔː/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in seesaw?
Seesaw has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (SEE). Broken into parts: SEE · saw.
Do Americans and Brits say seesaw the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈsisɔ/ and the British form is /ˈsiːsɔː/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.