How to pronounce trim
Say it like TRIM. Trim 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 trim. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- TRIM
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Trim pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- TRIMSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of trim
American and British speakers say trim in essentially the same way: /trɪm/ in the US and /trɪm/ in the UK.
British respelling: TRIM.
What does trim mean?
- remove the edges from and cut down to the desired size“pare one's fingernails”“trim the photograph”
- decorate, as with ornaments“trim the christmas tree”“trim a shop window”
- cut down on; make a reduction in“reduce your daily fat intake”“The employer wants to cut back health benefits”
- a state of arrangement or appearance“in good trim”
- a decoration or adornment on a garment“the trimming on a hat”“the trim on a shirt”
- attitude of an aircraft in flight when allowed to take its own orientation
- thin and fit“the spare figure of a marathon runner”“a body kept trim by exercise”
- of places; characterized by order and neatness; free from disorder“even the barn was shipshape”“a trim little sailboat”
- neat and smart in appearance“a clean-cut and well-bred young man”“the trig corporal in his jaunty cap”
Where does trim come from?
From Middle English trimen, trymen, trümen, from Old English trymman (“to make firm; strengthen”), from Proto-West Germanic *trummjan, from Proto-Germanic *trumjaną (“to make fast; strengthen”), from Proto-Germanic *trumaz (“firm; strong; sound”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with trim
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of trim.
Questions about saying trim
How do you pronounce trim?
Say TRIM. The American pronunciation is /trɪm/. In British English it is /trɪm/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in trim?
Trim is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: TRIM.
Do Americans and Brits say trim the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /trɪm/ and the British form is /trɪm/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.