How to pronounce we
Say it like WEE. We is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
- WEE
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
We pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- WEESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of we
American and British speakers say we in essentially the same way: /wi/ in the US and /wiː/ in the UK.
British respelling: WEE.
What does we mean?
- Excluding the person(s) being addressed. (This is the exclusive we.)“We are here to arrest you.”
- Including the person(s) being addressed. (This is the inclusive we.)“We need to have a talk, you and me.”
- The institution which the speaker/writer is acting for. (This is the editorial we, used by writers and others when speaking with the authority of their publication or organisation.)“We will in due course state our reasons for publishing the name of the accused.”
- Designates the speaker(s)/writer(s) as belonging to or constituting the stated category of people.“We Canadians like to think of ourselves as different.”
- us“He was a propa gadgie, and always bought we drinks after a long shift.”
Where does we come from?
From Middle English we, from Old English wē (“we”), from Proto-West Germanic *wiʀ, from Proto-Germanic *wīz, *wiz (“we”), from Proto-Indo-European *wéy (“we (plural)”).
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with we
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of we.
Words that sound like we
Questions about saying we
How do you pronounce we?
Say WEE. The American pronunciation is /wi/. In British English it is /wiː/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in we?
We is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: WEE.
Do Americans and Brits say we the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /wi/ and the British form is /wiː/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as we?
We sounds the same as oui, wee, wii in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.