How to pronounce year
Say it like YEER. Year 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 year. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- YEER
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Year pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- YEERSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of year
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: YEER.
What does year mean?
- a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days“she is 4 years old”“in the year 1920”
- a period of time occupying a regular part of a calendar year that is used for some particular activity“a school year”
- the period of time that it takes for a planet (as, e.g., Earth or Mars) to make a complete revolution around the sun“a Martian year takes 687 of our days”
Where does year come from?
Cognate with Scots year (“year”), North Frisian djooar, iir, Jaar, jeer, juar, jäär (“year”), Saterland Frisian Jíer (“year”), West Frisian jier (“year”), Bavarian Joahr, Jåar, Jåhr (“year”), Cimbrian djar, jaar (“year”), Dutch jaar (“year”
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
- yr
Words that rhyme with year
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of year.
Questions about saying year
How do you pronounce year?
Say YEER. The American pronunciation is /jɪr/. In British English it is /jɪə/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in year?
Year is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: YEER.
Is year 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 /jɪə/ (YEER).