How to pronounce wasp
Say it like WAHSP. Wasp 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 wasp. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- WAHSP
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Wasp pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- WAHSPSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ah" in father.
American vs British pronunciation of wasp
- The short o is rounded in British English (as in "hot"), but open and unrounded in American English.
British respelling: WOSP.
What does wasp mean?
- Any of many types of stinging flying insect resembling a hornet.
- Any of the members of suborder Apocrita, excepting the ants (family Formicidae) and bees (clade Anthophila).
- Any of the members of the family Vespidae.
- Alternative letter-case form of WASP (“white Anglo-Saxon Protestant”).
- To move like a wasp; to buzz.
Where does wasp come from?
Metathesis of /s/ and /p/ was both a process of some generality within English (compare grasp from Middle English grapsen, and, affecting other plosives, ascian ~ acsian (“to ask”)) and common in the reflexes of *wóps-eh₂ (“wasp”) in particul
Questions about saying wasp
How do you pronounce wasp?
Say WAHSP. The American pronunciation is /wɑsp/. In British English it is /wɒsp/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in wasp?
Wasp is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: WAHSP.
Is wasp 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 /wɒsp/ (WOSP).