Pronunciation

How to pronounce “new

“new” is pronounced /nu/ (NOO) in American English and /njuː/ in British English, and /nju/ is also accepted — one syllable.
The sound

Say “new” in one beat

Say it like this

new

/nu/

The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /njuː/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.

1 beat
  1. newnu
IPA (American)
/nu/
IPA (British)
/njuː/
Also accepted
/nju/
Respelling
NOO
Syllables
1 — new
Stress
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /nu/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Part of speech
adjective, adverb
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/nu/

British

/njuː/

No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.

Meaning

What “new” means

  1. adjective

    not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

    a new law

  2. adjective

    original and of a kind not seen before

    the computer produced a completely novel proof of a well-known theorem

  3. adjective

    lacking training or experience

    the new men were eager to fight

Say it in a sentence

He bought a new bicycle for his commute to work.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

2 sounds, in the order you say them

Each sound has its own page: where the tongue goes, what it is usually confused with, and words to drill it on.

Questions

new”, answered

How do you pronounce “new”?

“new” is pronounced /nu/ (NOO) in American English and /njuː/ in British English, and /nju/ is also accepted — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /nu/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.

How many syllables does “new” have?

One, despite the 1 vowel letters in the spelling. The whole word is /nu/ — a single beat.

Is “new” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /nu/ (NOO); British English says /njuː/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “new” mean?

As an adjective: not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered For example: “a new law” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “new”?

One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /nu/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.

Practise this word

Now say “new” 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.