How to pronounce silhouette
Say it like sil-uh-WET. Silhouette has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the third one (WET).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce silhouette. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- sil
- uh
- WET
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Tip: The h is silent: 'sil-oo-ET', stressed on the last syllable.
Silhouette pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- silGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- uhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- WETSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
American vs British pronunciation of silhouette
American and British speakers say silhouette in essentially the same way: /ˌsɪləˈwɛt/ in the US and /ˌsɪlʊˈɛt/ in the UK.
British respelling: sil-uh-ET.
What does silhouette mean?
- An artistic depiction, often of a person's profile, in the form of an outline without any other visual details, similar to a shadow, made by cutting a piece of black paper, filling in an outline with a solid colour (usually black), etc.
- A dark outline of someone or something seen against a brighter background.“I could see a silhouette of a figure looking out from the window, but I couldn’t tell if it was a man or a woman.”
- An outline of a garment as it appears on a wearer.“A-line is a classic silhouette for dresses and skirts.”
- Often followed by against or upon: to depict (oneself or someone, or something) as a silhouette (noun sense 1 or noun sense 2.1); to project (oneself or someone, or something) upon a background, so as to be like a silhouette.
- To appear as a silhouette.
Where does silhouette come from?
The verb is derived from the noun.
Words that rhyme with silhouette
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of silhouette.
Questions about saying silhouette
How do you pronounce silhouette?
Say sil-uh-WET. The American pronunciation is /ˌsɪləˈwɛt/. In British English it is /ˌsɪlʊˈɛt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in silhouette?
Silhouette has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the third one (WET). Broken into parts: sil · uh · WET.
Do Americans and Brits say silhouette the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˌsɪləˈwɛt/ and the British form is /ˌsɪlʊˈɛt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.