How to pronounce woman
Say it like WUUM-un. Woman has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (WUUM).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce woman. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- WUUM
- un
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Woman pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- WUUMSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "oo" in book.
- unKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of woman
American and British speakers say woman in essentially the same way: /ˈwʊmən/ in the US and /ˈwʊmən/ in the UK.
British respelling: WUUM-un.
What does woman mean?
- an adult female person (as opposed to a man)“the woman kept house while the man hunted”
- a female person who plays a significant role (wife or mistress or girlfriend) in the life of a particular man“he was faithful to his woman”
- a human female employed to do housework“the char will clean the carpet”“I have a woman who comes in four hours a day while I write”
Where does woman come from?
For a time in the 16th and 17th centuries, the pronunciation of the singular sometimes drifted even further back towards /uː/ or /ɔː~oː/ (→ modern /oʊ~əʊ/) and the plural sometimes drifted even further forward towards /iː/, leading to compa
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Questions about saying woman
How do you pronounce woman?
Say WUUM-un. The American pronunciation is /ˈwʊmən/. In British English it is /ˈwʊmən/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in woman?
Woman has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (WUUM). Broken into parts: WUUM · un.
Do Americans and Brits say woman the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈwʊmən/ and the British form is /ˈwʊmən/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.