How to pronounce swing
Say it like SWING. Swing 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 swing. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SWING
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Swing pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SWINGSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of swing
American and British speakers say swing in essentially the same way: /swɪŋ/ in the US and /swɪŋ/ in the UK.
British respelling: SWING.
What does swing mean?
- move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting“He swung his left fist”“swing a bat”
- move or walk in a swinging or swaying manner“He swung back”
- change direction with a swinging motion; turn“swing back”“swing forward”
- a state of steady vigorous action that is characteristic of an activity“the party went with a swing”“it took time to get into the swing of things”
- mechanical device used as a plaything to support someone swinging back and forth
- a sweeping blow or stroke“he took a wild swing at my head”
Where does swing come from?
From Middle English swyngen, from Old English swingan, from Proto-West Germanic *swingan, from Proto-Germanic *swinganą (compare Low German swingen, German schwingen, Dutch zwingen, Swedish svinga), from Proto-Indo-European *swenk-, *sweng-
Words that rhyme with swing
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of swing.
Questions about saying swing
How do you pronounce swing?
Say SWING. The American pronunciation is /swɪŋ/. In British English it is /swɪŋ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in swing?
Swing is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SWING.
Do Americans and Brits say swing the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /swɪŋ/ and the British form is /swɪŋ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.