How to pronounce thanks
Say it like THANGKS. Thanks 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 thanks. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- THANGKS
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Thanks pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- THANGKSSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
American vs British pronunciation of thanks
American and British speakers say thanks in essentially the same way: /θæŋks/ in the US and /θæŋks/ in the UK.
British respelling: THANGKS.
What does thanks mean?
- an acknowledgment of appreciation
- with the help of or owing to“thanks to hard work it was a great success”
Where does thanks come from?
From Middle English thanks, thankes, from Old English þancas (“thanks”), from Proto-Germanic *þankōs, nominative plural of *þankaz (“thought, gratitude”), from Proto-Indo-European *teng- (“to think, feel”).
Questions about saying thanks
How do you pronounce thanks?
Say THANGKS. The American pronunciation is /θæŋks/. In British English it is /θæŋks/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in thanks?
Thanks is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: THANGKS.
Do Americans and Brits say thanks the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /θæŋks/ and the British form is /θæŋks/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.