How to pronounce some
Say it like SUHM. Some 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 some. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SUHM
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Some pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SUHMSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "u" in cup.
American vs British pronunciation of some
American and British speakers say some in essentially the same way: /sʌm/ in the US and /sʌm/ in the UK.
British respelling: SUHM.
What does some mean?
- (quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity“have some milk”“some roses were still blooming”
- relatively much but unspecified in amount or extent“we talked for some time”“he was still some distance away”
- relatively many but unspecified in number“they were here for some weeks”“we did not meet again for some years”
- (of quantities) imprecise but fairly close to correct“lasted approximately an hour”“in just about a minute”
Where does some come from?
Cognate Scots sum, some (“some”), North Frisian som, sam, säm (“some”), West Frisian sommige, somlike (“some”), dialectal Dutch som, saom (“some”), standard Dutch sommige (“some”), Low German somige (“some”), German dialectal summige (“some
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with some
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of some.
Words that sound like some
Questions about saying some
How do you pronounce some?
Say SUHM. The American pronunciation is /sʌm/. In British English it is /sʌm/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in some?
Some is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SUHM.
Do Americans and Brits say some the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /sʌm/ and the British form is /sʌm/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as some?
Some sounds the same as sum in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.