How to pronounce want
Say it like WAHNT. Want 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 want. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- WAHNT
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Want pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- WAHNTSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ah" in father.
American vs British pronunciation of want
- The short o is rounded in British English (as in "hot"), but open and unrounded in American English.
British respelling: WONT.
Other ways to say want
Want also has this pronunciation, usually with a different meaning or use:
- WAWNT /wɔnt/
What does want mean?
- feel or have a desire for; want strongly“I want to go home now”“I want my own room”
- have need of“This piano wants the attention of a competent tuner”
- hunt or look for; want for a particular reason“Your former neighbor is wanted by the FBI”“Uncle Sam wants you”
- a state of extreme poverty
- the state of needing something that is absent or unavailable“there is a serious lack of insight into the problem”“water is the critical deficiency in desert regions”
- anything that is necessary but lacking“he had sufficient means to meet his simple needs”“I tried to supply his wants”
Where does want come from?
From Middle English wanten (“to lack, to need”), from Old Norse vanta (“to lack”), from Proto-Germanic *wanatōną (“to be wanting, lack”), from *wanô (“lack, deficiency”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁weh₂- (“empty”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with want
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of want.
Questions about saying want
How do you pronounce want?
Say WAHNT. The American pronunciation is /wɑnt/. In British English it is /wɒnt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in want?
Want is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: WAHNT.
Is want pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. The short o is rounded in British English (as in "hot"), but open and unrounded in American English. The British form is /wɒnt/ (WONT).