Pronunciation

How to pronounce “terms

“terms” is pronounced /tɝmz/ (TURMZ) in American English and /tɜːmz/ in British English — one syllable.
The sound

Say “terms” in one beat

Say it like this

terms

/tɝmz/

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

1 beat
  1. termstɝmz
IPA (American)
/tɝmz/
IPA (British)
/tɜːmz/
Respelling
TURMZ
Syllables
1 — terms
Stress
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /tɝmz/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Part of speech
noun, verb
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/tɝmz/

British

/tɜːmz/

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

Meaning

What “terms” means

  1. noun

    status with respect to the relations between people or groups

    on good terms with her in-laws

  2. noun

    the amount of money needed to purchase something

    the price of gasoline

  3. noun

    a word or expression used for some particular thing

    he learned many medical terms

Say it in a sentence

They finally agreed on the terms of the contract.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

4 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

terms”, answered

How do you pronounce “terms”?

“terms” is pronounced /tɝmz/ (TURMZ) in American English and /tɜːmz/ in British English — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /tɝmz/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.

How many syllables does “terms” have?

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

Is “terms” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /tɝmz/ (TURMZ); British English says /tɜːmz/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “terms” mean?

As a noun: status with respect to the relations between people or groups For example: “on good terms with her in-laws” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “terms”?

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

Practise this word

Now say “terms” 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.