How to pronounce tennis
Say it like TEN-us. Tennis has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (TEN).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce tennis. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- TEN
- us
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Tennis pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- TENSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- usKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of tennis
American and British speakers say tennis in essentially the same way: /ˈtɛnəs/ in the US and /ˈtɛnɪs/ in the UK.
British respelling: TEN-is.
What does tennis mean?
- a game played with rackets by two or four players who hit a ball back and forth over a net that divides the court
Where does tennis come from?
From Middle English tennys, teneys, tenis, from Old French tenez (second-person plural imperative of tenir (“to hold”)).
Words that rhyme with tennis
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of tennis.
Questions about saying tennis
How do you pronounce tennis?
Say TEN-us. The American pronunciation is /ˈtɛnəs/. In British English it is /ˈtɛnɪs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in tennis?
Tennis has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (TEN). Broken into parts: TEN · us.
Do Americans and Brits say tennis the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈtɛnəs/ and the British form is /ˈtɛnɪs/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.