How to pronounce witness
Say it like WIT-nus. Witness has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (WIT).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce witness. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- WIT
- nus
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Witness pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- WITSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- nusKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of witness
American and British speakers say witness in essentially the same way: /ˈwɪtnəs/ in the US and /ˈwɪtnɪs/ in the UK.
British respelling: WIT-nis.
What does witness mean?
- be a witness to“She witnessed the accident and had to testify in court”
- perceive or be contemporaneous with“We found Republicans winning the offices”“You'll see a lot of cheating in this school”
- someone who sees an event and reports what happened
- a close observer; someone who looks at something (such as an exhibition of some kind)“the spectators applauded the performance”“television viewers”
- testimony by word or deed to your religious faith
Where does witness come from?
From Middle English witnesse, from Old English ġewitnes, equivalent to wit + -ness.
Words that rhyme with witness
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of witness.
Questions about saying witness
How do you pronounce witness?
Say WIT-nus. The American pronunciation is /ˈwɪtnəs/. In British English it is /ˈwɪtnɪs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in witness?
Witness has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (WIT). Broken into parts: WIT · nus.
Do Americans and Brits say witness the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈwɪtnəs/ and the British form is /ˈwɪtnɪs/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.