How to pronounce tame
Say it like TAYM. Tame 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 tame. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- TAYM
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Tame pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- TAYMSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of tame
American and British speakers say tame in essentially the same way: /teɪm/ in the US and /teɪm/ in the UK.
British respelling: TAYM.
What does tame mean?
- correct by punishment or discipline
- make less strong or intense; soften“Tone down that aggressive letter”“The author finally tamed some of his potentially offensive statements”
- adapt (a wild plant or unclaimed land) to the environment“domesticate oats”“tame the soil”
- flat and uninspiring
- very restrained or quiet“a tame Christmas party”“she was one of the tamest and most abject creatures imaginable with no will or power to act but as directed”
- brought from wildness into a domesticated state“tame animals”“fields of tame blueberries”
Where does tame come from?
The verb is from Middle English tamen, temen, temien, from Old English temian (“to tame”), from Proto-West Germanic *tammjan, from Proto-Germanic *tamjaną (“to tame”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with tame
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of tame.
Questions about saying tame
How do you pronounce tame?
Say TAYM. The American pronunciation is /teɪm/. In British English it is /teɪm/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in tame?
Tame is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: TAYM.
Do Americans and Brits say tame the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /teɪm/ and the British form is /teɪm/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.