How to pronounce son
Say it like SUHN. Son 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 son. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SUHN
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Son pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SUHNSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "u" in cup.
American vs British pronunciation of son
American and British speakers say son in essentially the same way: /sʌn/ in the US and /sʌn/ in the UK.
British respelling: SUHN.
What does son mean?
- a male human offspring“their son became a famous judge”“his boy is taller than he is”
- the divine word of God; the second person in the Trinity (incarnate in Jesus)
Where does son come from?
From Middle English sonn, sone, sun, sune, from Old English sunu (“son”), from Proto-West Germanic *sunu, from Proto-Germanic *sunuz (“son”), from Proto-Indo-European *suHnús (“son”), from Proto-Indo-European *sewH- (“to bear; give birth”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with son
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of son.
Words that sound like son
Questions about saying son
How do you pronounce son?
Say SUHN. The American pronunciation is /sʌn/. In British English it is /sʌn/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in son?
Son is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SUHN.
Do Americans and Brits say son the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /sʌn/ and the British form is /sʌn/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as son?
Son sounds the same as sun in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.