How to pronounce tun
Say it like TUHN. Tun 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 tun. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- TUHN
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Tun pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- TUHNSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "u" in cup.
American vs British pronunciation of tun
American and British speakers say tun in essentially the same way: /tʌn/ in the US and /tʌn/ in the UK.
British respelling: TUHN.
What does tun mean?
- A large cask; an oblong vessel bulging in the middle, like a pipe or puncheon, and girt with hoops; a wine cask. (See a diagram comparing cask sizes.)
- A fermenting vat.
- Synonym of long ton: a unit of mass equal to 2240 pounds, 20 hundredweights of 112 pounds avoirdupois each.
- To put into tuns, or casks.
- A part of the ancient Maya Long Count Calendar system which corresponds to 18 winal cycles or 360 days.
Where does tun come from?
Cognate with North Frisian tenn (“tun, barrel, cask”), Dutch ton (“tun, barrel, cask”), German Tonne (“tun, barrel, drum”), Danish tønde (“barrel”), Swedish tunna (“barrel, cask, tun”), Icelandic tunna (“barrel”).
Words that rhyme with tun
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of tun.
Words that sound like tun
Questions about saying tun
How do you pronounce tun?
Say TUHN. The American pronunciation is /tʌn/. In British English it is /tʌn/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in tun?
Tun is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: TUHN.
Do Americans and Brits say tun the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /tʌn/ and the British form is /tʌn/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as tun?
Tun sounds the same as ton, tonne in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.