How to pronounce shame
Say it like SHAYM. Shame 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 shame. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SHAYM
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Shame pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SHAYMSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of shame
American and British speakers say shame in essentially the same way: /ʃeɪm/ in the US and /ʃeɪm/ in the UK.
British respelling: SHAYM.
What does shame mean?
- a painful emotion resulting from an awareness of inadequacy or guilt
- a state of dishonor“one mistake brought shame to all his family”“suffered the ignominy of being sent to prison”
- an unfortunate development“it's a pity he couldn't do it”
- bring shame or dishonor upon“he dishonored his family by committing a serious crime”
- compel through a sense of shame“She shamed him into making amends”
- cause to be ashamed
Words that rhyme with shame
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of shame.
Questions about saying shame
How do you pronounce shame?
Say SHAYM. The American pronunciation is /ʃeɪm/. In British English it is /ʃeɪm/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in shame?
Shame is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SHAYM.
Do Americans and Brits say shame the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ʃeɪm/ and the British form is /ʃeɪm/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.