How to pronounce “half”
Say “half” in one beat
half
/hæf/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /hɑːf/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- halfhæf
- IPA (American)
- /hæf/
- IPA (British)
- /hɑːf/
- Respelling
- HAF (UK HAHF)
- Syllables
- 1 — half
- Stress
- One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /hæf/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
- Part of speech
- noun, adjective, adverb
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
/hæf/
/hɑːf/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
Where “half” goes wrong
- Often heard
“HALF with an l”
the l is silent on both sides of the Atlantic
What “half” means
- noun
one of two equal parts of a divisible whole
“half a loaf”
- noun
one of two divisions into which some games or performances are divided: the two divisions are separated by an interval
- adjective
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
“a half chicken”
Say it in a sentence
“Half the class had already finished by the time I started.”“half”, answered
How do you pronounce “half”?
“half” is pronounced /hæf/ (HAF (UK HAHF)) in American English and /hɑːf/ in British English — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /hæf/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.
How many syllables does “half” have?
One, despite the 1 vowel letters in the spelling. The whole word is /hæf/ — a single beat.
Is “half” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /hæf/ (HAF (UK HAHF)); British English says /hɑːf/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “half” mean?
As a noun: one of two equal parts of a divisible whole For example: “half a loaf” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “half”?
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /hæf/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Now say “half” and see every sound
Record it once and sayit lines your audio up against the target sound by sound — what landed, what slipped, and what it sounded like instead.