How to pronounce toy
Say it like TOY. Toy 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 toy. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- TOY
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Toy pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- TOYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "oy" in boy.
American vs British pronunciation of toy
American and British speakers say toy in essentially the same way: /tɔɪ/ in the US and /tɔɪ/ in the UK.
British respelling: TOY.
What does toy mean?
- an artifact designed to be played with
- a nonfunctional replica of something else (frequently used as a modifier)“a toy stove”
- a device regarded as providing amusement“private airplanes are a rich man's toy”
- behave carelessly or indifferently“Play about with a young girl's affection”
- manipulate manually or in one's mind or imagination“She played nervously with her wedding ring”“Don't fiddle with the screws”
- engage in an activity as if it were a game rather than take it seriously“They played games on their opponents”“play the stock market”
Where does toy come from?
Cognate with Dutch tuig (“thing”), German Zeug (“stuff”), Danish tøj (“stuff”), Icelandic tygi, Norwegian tøy (“equipment, riggings, stuff”), Swedish tyg (“cloth, textile, fabric”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with toy
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of toy.
Questions about saying toy
How do you pronounce toy?
Say TOY. The American pronunciation is /tɔɪ/. In British English it is /tɔɪ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in toy?
Toy is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: TOY.
Do Americans and Brits say toy the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /tɔɪ/ and the British form is /tɔɪ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.