Pronunciation

How to pronounce “unit

“unit” is pronounced /ˈjunət/ (YOO-nuht) in American English and /juːnɪt/ in British English, and /ˈjunɪt/ is also accepted — 2 syllables, stressed on “un”.
The sound

Say “unit” in 2 beats

Say it like this

unit

/ˈjunət/

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

2 beats
  1. unjustress
  2. itnət
IPA (American)
/ˈjunət/
IPA (British)
/juːnɪt/
Also accepted
/ˈjunɪt/
Respelling
YOO-nuht
Syllables
2 — UN-it
Stress
Stress the first syllable: UN-it. “un” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Part of speech
noun
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈjunət/

British

/juːnɪt/

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

Meaning

What “unit” means

  1. noun

    any division of quantity accepted as a standard of measurement or exchange

    the dollar is the United States unit of currency

  2. noun

    an individual or group or structure or other entity regarded as a structural or functional constituent of a whole

    the reduced the number of units and installations

  3. noun

    an organization regarded as part of a larger social group

    the coach said the offensive unit did a good job

Say it in a sentence

They rented a small storage unit near the highway.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

5 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

unit”, answered

How do you pronounce “unit”?

“unit” is pronounced /ˈjunət/ (YOO-nuht) in American English and /juːnɪt/ in British English, and /ˈjunɪt/ is also accepted — 2 syllables, stressed on “un”. Build it as UN-it, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “unit” have?

2: un · it. The beat lands on the first, “un”.

Is “unit” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈjunət/ (YOO-nuht); British English says /juːnɪt/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “unit” mean?

As a noun: any division of quantity accepted as a standard of measurement or exchange For example: “the dollar is the United States unit of currency” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “unit”?

Stress the first syllable: UN-it. “un” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “unit” 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.