How to pronounce sixteen
Say it like siks-TEEN. Sixteen has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (TEEN).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce sixteen. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- siks
- TEEN
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Sixteen pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- siksKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- TEENSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of sixteen
American and British speakers say sixteen in essentially the same way: /sɪksˈtin/ in the US and /sɪksˈtiːn/ in the UK.
British respelling: siks-TEEN.
Other ways to say sixteen
Sixteen also has this pronunciation, usually with a different meaning or use:
- SIK-STEEN /ˈsɪkˈstin/
What does sixteen mean?
- being one more than fifteen
- the cardinal number that is the sum of fifteen and one
Where does sixteen come from?
Inherited from Middle English sextene, sixtene, from Old English sixtīene, from Proto-Germanic *sehstehun.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
- xvi
Words that rhyme with sixteen
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of sixteen.
Questions about saying sixteen
How do you pronounce sixteen?
Say siks-TEEN. The American pronunciation is /sɪksˈtin/. In British English it is /sɪksˈtiːn/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in sixteen?
Sixteen has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (TEEN). Broken into parts: siks · TEEN.
Do Americans and Brits say sixteen the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /sɪksˈtin/ and the British form is /sɪksˈtiːn/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.