How to pronounce wee
Say it like WEE. Wee 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 wee. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- WEE
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Wee 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 wee
American and British speakers say wee in essentially the same way: /wi/ in the US and /wiː/ in the UK.
British respelling: WEE.
What does wee mean?
- (used informally) very small“a wee tot”
- very early“the wee hours of the morning”
- a short time“bide a wee”
- eliminate urine“Again, the cat had made on the expensive rug”
Where does wee come from?
From Middle English wey, weygh, wegh, weȝe, wæȝe (“little bit”), from Old English wǣġ, wǣġe (“weight”), from Proto-West Germanic *wāgu, from Proto-Germanic *wēgō (“scales, weight”) and *wēgǭ (“weight”), related to Middle English weġan (“to move, weigh”) (15c).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with wee
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of wee.
Words that sound like wee
Questions about saying wee
How do you pronounce wee?
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 wee?
Wee is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: WEE.
Do Americans and Brits say wee 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 wee?
Wee sounds the same as we in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.