How to pronounce span
Say it like SPAN. Span is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
- SPAN
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Span pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SPANSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
American vs British pronunciation of span
American and British speakers say span in essentially the same way: /spæn/ in the US and /spæn/ in the UK.
British respelling: SPAN.
What does span mean?
- The full width of an open hand from the end of the thumb to the end of the little finger used as an informal unit of length.
- Any of various traditional units of length approximating this distance, especially the English handspan of 9 inches forming ⅛ fathom and equivalent to 22.86 cm.
- A small space or a brief portion of time.“He has a short attention span and gets bored within minutes.”
- To extend across (a gap or space between two sides).“The suspension bridge spanned the canyon.”
- To cover or extend over (an area or distance).“The parking lot spans three acres.”
- To extend through (a period of time).“The novel spans three centuries.”
- simple past of spin How to pronounce spin
Where does span come from?
Cognate with Dutch span, spanne, German Spanne.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with span
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of span.
Questions about saying span
How do you pronounce span?
Say SPAN. The American pronunciation is /spæn/. In British English it is /spæn/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in span?
Span is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SPAN.
Do Americans and Brits say span the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /spæn/ and the British form is /spæn/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.