How to pronounce toothbrush
Say it like TOOTH-brush. Toothbrush has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (TOOTH).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce toothbrush. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- TOOTH
- brush
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Toothbrush pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- TOOTHSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "oo" in food.
- brushKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of toothbrush
American and British speakers say toothbrush in essentially the same way: /ˈtuθbrəʃ/ in the US and /ˈtuːθbrʌʃ/ in the UK.
British respelling: TOOTH-brush.
What does toothbrush mean?
- A brush, used with toothpaste, for cleaning the teeth.
- To clean or scrub with a toothbrush.
Where does toothbrush come from?
From tooth + brush. Compare Saterland Frisian Tuskebäärsel (“toothbrush”), West Frisian toskboarstel (“toothbrush”), Dutch tandenborstel (“toothbrush”), German Zahnbürste (“toothbrush”), Danish tandbørste (“toothbrush”), Swedish tandborste
Questions about saying toothbrush
How do you pronounce toothbrush?
Say TOOTH-brush. The American pronunciation is /ˈtuθbrəʃ/. In British English it is /ˈtuːθbrʌʃ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in toothbrush?
Toothbrush has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (TOOTH). Broken into parts: TOOTH · brush.
Do Americans and Brits say toothbrush the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈtuθbrəʃ/ and the British form is /ˈtuːθbrʌʃ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.