How to pronounce spy
Say it like SPY. Spy 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 spy. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SPY
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Spy pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SPYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in time.
American vs British pronunciation of spy
American and British speakers say spy in essentially the same way: /spaɪ/ in the US and /spaɪ/ in the UK.
British respelling: SPY.
What does spy mean?
- catch sight of
- watch, observe, or inquire secretly
- catch sight of; to perceive with the eyes“he caught sight of the king's men coming over the ridge”
- (military) a secret agent hired by a state to obtain information about its enemies or by a business to obtain industrial secrets from competitors
- a secret watcher; someone who secretly watches other people“my spies tell me that you had a good time last night”
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with spy
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of spy.
Questions about saying spy
How do you pronounce spy?
Say SPY. The American pronunciation is /spaɪ/. In British English it is /spaɪ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in spy?
Spy is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SPY.
Do Americans and Brits say spy the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /spaɪ/ and the British form is /spaɪ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.