How to pronounce whither
Say it like WITH-er. Whither has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (WITH).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce whither. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- WITH
- er
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Whither pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- WITHSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- erKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "er" in butter.
American vs British pronunciation of whither
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: WITH-uh.
What does whither mean?
- To what place; where.“Whither wilt thou wander, wayfarer?”
- To what (future) cause, condition or state, reason, etc.; where, where next; also (obsolete) to what extent; how far.
- To which place; also (after a noun denoting a place) to which.
- A place to which someone or something goes; also, a condition to which someone or something moves.
Where does whither come from?
From Middle English whider (“to what place?; into or to which; to what place, where; no matter where, to wherever”), from Old English hwider, hwæder (“to what place, where”), from Proto-Germanic *hwadrê (“to what place, where”), ultimately
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with whither
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of whither.
Words that sound like whither
Questions about saying whither
How do you pronounce whither?
Say WITH-er. The American pronunciation is /ˈwɪðɚ/. In British English it is /ˈwɪðə/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in whither?
Whither has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (WITH). Broken into parts: WITH · er.
Is whither pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead. The British form is /ˈwɪðə/ (WITH-uh).
What words sound the same as whither?
Whither sounds the same as wither in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.