How to pronounce zee
Say it like ZEE. Zee 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 zee. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- ZEE
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Zee pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- ZEESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of zee
American and British speakers say zee in essentially the same way: /zi/ in the US and /ziː/ in the UK.
British respelling: ZEE.
What does zee mean?
- The name of the Latin script letter Z/z.
- Something Z-shaped. Found in compounds.“zee-bar.”
- Sleep.“Time to get some zees.”
- To sleep or nap. (Compare zzz, catch some z's.)
- To zigzag; to move with sharp alternating turns.
- Pronunciation spelling of the, representing primarily French or German accented English.
Where does zee come from?
Likely an alteration of zed (which see for more), by analogy with other letters such as bee, dee, tee and vee.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
- z
Words that rhyme with zee
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of zee.
Questions about saying zee
How do you pronounce zee?
Say ZEE. The American pronunciation is /zi/. In British English it is /ziː/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in zee?
Zee is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: ZEE.
Do Americans and Brits say zee the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /zi/ and the British form is /ziː/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.