How to pronounce you
Say it like YOO. You 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 you. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- YOO
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
You pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- YOOSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "oo" in food.
American vs British pronunciation of you
American and British speakers say you in essentially the same way: /ju/ in the US and /juː/ in the UK.
British respelling: YOO.
What does you mean?
- The people spoken, or written to, as an object.“Both of you should get ready now.”
- (To) yourselves, (to) yourself.
- The person spoken to or written to, as an object. (Replacing thee; originally as a mark of respect.)
- The individual or group spoken or written to.“Have you gentlemen come to see the lady who fell backwards off a bus?”
- Used before epithets, describing the person being addressed, for emphasis.“You idiot!”
- To address (a person) using the pronoun you (in the past, especially to use you rather than thou, when you was considered more formal).
Words that rhyme with you
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of you.
Words that sound like you
Questions about saying you
How do you pronounce you?
Say YOO. The American pronunciation is /ju/. In British English it is /juː/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in you?
You is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: YOO.
Do Americans and Brits say you the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ju/ and the British form is /juː/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as you?
You sounds the same as ewe, yew in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.