How to pronounce theft
Say it like THEFT. Theft 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 theft. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- THEFT
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Theft pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- THEFTSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
American vs British pronunciation of theft
American and British speakers say theft in essentially the same way: /θɛft/ in the US and /θɛft/ in the UK.
British respelling: THEFT.
What does theft mean?
- the act of taking something from someone unlawfully“the thieving is awful at Kennedy International”
Where does theft come from?
From Middle English theft, thefte, þefte, þefþe, þiefþe, Old English þīefþ, from Proto-West Germanic *þiubīþu, from Proto-Germanic *þiubīþō (“theft”), from *þiubijaną (“to thieve, steal”), equivalent to thieve + -t (abstract nominal suffix).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with theft
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of theft.
Questions about saying theft
How do you pronounce theft?
Say THEFT. The American pronunciation is /θɛft/. In British English it is /θɛft/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in theft?
Theft is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: THEFT.
Do Americans and Brits say theft the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /θɛft/ and the British form is /θɛft/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.