How to pronounce which
Say it like WICH. Which 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 which. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- WICH
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Which pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- WICHSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of which
American and British speakers say which in essentially the same way: /wɪtʃ/ in the US and /wɪtʃ/ in the UK.
British respelling: WICH.
What does which mean?
- What, of those mentioned or implied.“Which song shall we play?”
- The/Any ... that; whichever.“Take which one you want.”
- Designates the one(s) previously mentioned.“He once owned a painting of the house, which painting would later be stolen.”
- What one or ones (of those mentioned or implied).“Which is which?”
- The/Any ones that; whichever.“Please take which you please.”
- Referring to a preceding noun.“I dropped a saucepan, which knocked over the eggs, which went all over the kitchen floor.”
- Introduces an anacoluthon.
Where does which come from?
Cognates include Scots whilk (“which”), West Frisian hokker (“which”), Dutch welk (“which”), Low German welk (“which”), German welcher (“which”), Danish hvilken (“which”), Swedish vilken (“which”), Norwegian hvilken (“which”), Icelandic hvílíkur (“which”).
Words that rhyme with which
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of which.
Words that sound like which
Questions about saying which
How do you pronounce which?
Say WICH. The American pronunciation is /wɪtʃ/. In British English it is /wɪtʃ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in which?
Which is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: WICH.
Do Americans and Brits say which the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /wɪtʃ/ and the British form is /wɪtʃ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as which?
Which sounds the same as witch in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.