How to pronounce tan
Say it like TAN. Tan 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 tan. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- TAN
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Tan pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- TANSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
American vs British pronunciation of tan
American and British speakers say tan in essentially the same way: /tæn/ in the US and /tæn/ in the UK.
British respelling: TAN.
What does tan mean?
- a browning of the skin resulting from exposure to the rays of the sun
- a light brown the color of topaz
- ratio of the opposite to the adjacent side of a right-angled triangle
- treat skins and hides with tannic acid so as to convert them into leather
- get a tan, from wind or sun
- of a light yellowish-brown color
Where does tan come from?
From Middle English tan, from Old French tan (“tanbark”), from Gaulish *tannos (“green oak”) – compare Breton tann (“red oak”), Old Cornish tannen –, from Proto-Celtic *tannos (“green oak”), of uncertain origin, but perhaps from Proto-Indo-
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with tan
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of tan.
Questions about saying tan
How do you pronounce tan?
Say TAN. The American pronunciation is /tæn/. In British English it is /tæn/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in tan?
Tan is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: TAN.
Do Americans and Brits say tan the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /tæn/ and the British form is /tæn/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.