How to pronounce thing
Say it like THING. Thing 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 thing. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- THING
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Thing pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- THINGSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of thing
American and British speakers say thing in essentially the same way: /θɪŋ/ in the US and /θɪŋ/ in the UK.
British respelling: THING.
What does thing mean?
- a special situation“this thing has got to end”“it is a remarkable thing”
- an action“how could you do such a thing?”
- a special abstraction“a thing of the spirit”“things of the heart”
Where does thing come from?
The word originally meant "assembly", then came to mean a specific issue discussed at such an assembly, and ultimately came to mean most broadly "an object".
Words that rhyme with thing
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of thing.
Questions about saying thing
How do you pronounce thing?
Say THING. The American pronunciation is /θɪŋ/. In British English it is /θɪŋ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in thing?
Thing is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: THING.
Do Americans and Brits say thing the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /θɪŋ/ and the British form is /θɪŋ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.