How to pronounce transit
Say it like TRAN-zit. Transit has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (TRAN).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce transit. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- TRAN
- zit
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Transit pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- TRANSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
- zitKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of transit
American and British speakers say transit in essentially the same way: /ˈtrænzɪt/ in the US and /ˈtrænzɪt/ in the UK.
British respelling: TRAN-zit.
What does transit mean?
- a surveying instrument for measuring horizontal and vertical angles, consisting of a small telescope mounted on a tripod
- a facility consisting of the means and equipment necessary for the movement of passengers or goods
- a journey usually by ship“the outward passage took 10 days”
- make a passage or journey from one place to another“The tourists moved through the town and bought up all the souvenirs”“Some travelers pass through the desert”
- pass across (a sign or house of the zodiac) or pass across (the disk of a celestial body or the meridian of a place)“The comet will transit on September 11”
- revolve (the telescope of a surveying transit) about its horizontal transverse axis in order to reverse its direction
Where does transit come from?
From French, from Latin transire (“to go across, pass in, pass through”), from trans (“over”) + ire (“to go”).
Questions about saying transit
How do you pronounce transit?
Say TRAN-zit. The American pronunciation is /ˈtrænzɪt/. In British English it is /ˈtrænzɪt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in transit?
Transit has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (TRAN). Broken into parts: TRAN · zit.
Do Americans and Brits say transit the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈtrænzɪt/ and the British form is /ˈtrænzɪt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.