How to pronounce “maybe”
Say “maybe” in 2 beats
maybe
/ˈmeɪbi/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /meɪbiː/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- maybmeɪstress
- ebi
- IPA (American)
- /ˈmeɪbi/
- IPA (British)
- /meɪbiː/
- Respelling
- MAY-bee
- Syllables
- 2 — MAYB-e
- Stress
- Stress the first syllable: MAYB-e. “mayb” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
- Part of speech
- adverb
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
/ˈmeɪbi/
/meɪbiː/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “maybe” means
- adverb
by chance
“perhaps she will call tomorrow”
Say it in a sentence
“Maybe we should wait until the rain stops.”“maybe”, answered
How do you pronounce “maybe”?
“maybe” is pronounced /ˈmeɪbi/ (MAY-bee) in American English and /meɪbiː/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “mayb”. Build it as MAYB-e, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “maybe” have?
2: mayb · e. The beat lands on the first, “mayb”.
Is “maybe” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ˈmeɪbi/ (MAY-bee); British English says /meɪbiː/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “maybe” mean?
As an adverb: by chance For example: “perhaps she will call tomorrow”
Where is the stress in “maybe”?
Stress the first syllable: MAYB-e. “mayb” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Now say “maybe” 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.