How to pronounce thumb
Say it like THUHM. Thumb 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 thumb. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- THUHM
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Thumb pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- THUHMSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "u" in cup.
American vs British pronunciation of thumb
American and British speakers say thumb in essentially the same way: /θʌm/ in the US and /θʌm/ in the UK.
British respelling: THUHM.
What does thumb mean?
- the thick short innermost digit of the forelimb
- the part of a glove that provides a covering for the thumb
- a convex molding having a cross section in the form of a quarter of a circle or of an ellipse
- travel by getting free rides from motorists
- look through a book or other written material“He thumbed through the report”“She leafed through the volume”
- feel or handle with the fingers“finger the binding of the book”
Where does thumb come from?
Cognate with West Frisian tomme (“thumb”), Dutch duim (“thumb”), Low German Duum (“thumb”), German Daumen (“thumb”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, and Norwegian Nynorsk tomme (“inch”), Norn tum (“thumb”), Swedish tumme (“thumb”), tum (“inch”),
Words that rhyme with thumb
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of thumb.
Questions about saying thumb
How do you pronounce thumb?
Say THUHM. The American pronunciation is /θʌm/. In British English it is /θʌm/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in thumb?
Thumb is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: THUHM.
Do Americans and Brits say thumb the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /θʌm/ and the British form is /θʌm/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.