How to pronounce was
Say it like WAHZ. Was 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 was. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- WAHZ
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Was pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- WAHZSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ah" in father.
American vs British pronunciation of was
- The short o is rounded in British English (as in "hot"), but open and unrounded in American English.
British respelling: WOZ.
What does was mean?
- first-person singular simple past indicative of be. How to pronounce be“I was castigated and scorned.”
- third-person singular simple past indicative of be. How to pronounce be“It was a really humongous slice of cake.”
- Used in phrases with existential there when the semantic subject is (usually third-person) plural.“There was three of them there.”
Where does was come from?
The paradigm of “to be” has been since the time of Proto-Germanic a synthesis of three originally distinct verb stems.
Words that rhyme with was
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of was.
Questions about saying was
How do you pronounce was?
Say WAHZ. The American pronunciation is /wɑz/. In British English it is /wɒz/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in was?
Was is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: WAHZ.
Is was 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 /wɒz/ (WOZ).