How to pronounce world
Say it like WURLD. World 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 world. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- WURLD
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
World pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- WURLDSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ur" in nurse.
American vs British pronunciation of world
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: WURLD.
What does world mean?
- everything that exists anywhere“they study the evolution of the universe”“the biggest tree in existence”
- people in general; especially a distinctive group of people with some shared interest“the Western world”
- all of your experiences that determine how things appear to you“his world was shattered”“we live in different worlds”
- involving the entire earth; not limited or provincial in scope“global war”“global monetary policy”
Where does world come from?
Cognate with Scots warld (“world”), North Frisian Wārel, wäält, wråål (“world”), Saterland Frisian Waareld (“world”), West Frisian wrâld (“world”), Afrikaans wêreld (“world”), Bavarian Wöd (“world”), Dutch wereld (“world”), German, Luxembou
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with world
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of world.
Questions about saying world
How do you pronounce world?
Say WURLD. The American pronunciation is /wɝld/. In British English it is /wɜːld/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in world?
World is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: WURLD.
Is world 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 /wɜːld/ (WURLD).