How to pronounce shy
Say it like SHY. Shy 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 shy. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SHY
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Shy pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SHYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in time.
American vs British pronunciation of shy
American and British speakers say shy in essentially the same way: /ʃaɪ/ in the US and /ʃaɪ/ in the UK.
British respelling: SHY.
What does shy mean?
- start suddenly, as from fright
- throw quickly
- a quick throw“he gave the ball a shy to the first baseman”
- lacking self-confidence“stood in the doorway diffident and abashed”“problems that call for bold not timid responses”
- short“eleven is one shy of a dozen”
- wary and distrustful; disposed to avoid persons or things“shy of strangers”
Where does shy come from?
From Middle English shy (“shy”), from Old English sċēoh (“shy”), from Proto-West Germanic *skeuh (“shy, fearful”), from Proto-Germanic *skeuhaz (“shy, fearful”).
Words that rhyme with shy
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of shy.
Questions about saying shy
How do you pronounce shy?
Say SHY. The American pronunciation is /ʃaɪ/. In British English it is /ʃaɪ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in shy?
Shy is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SHY.
Do Americans and Brits say shy the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ʃaɪ/ and the British form is /ʃaɪ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.