Pronunciation

How to pronounce “vs

“vs” is pronounced /ˈviˈɛs/ (VEE-es) in American English and /viːɛs/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “vi”.
The sound

Say “vs” in 2 beats

Say it like this

vs

/ˈviˈɛs/

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

2 beats
  1. vivistress
  2. ɛsɛs
IPA (American)
/ˈviˈɛs/
IPA (British)
/viːɛs/
Respelling
VEE-es
Syllables
2 — VI-ɛs
Stress
Stress the first syllable: VI-ɛs. “vi” 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

/ˈviˈɛs/

British

/viːɛs/

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

Meaning

What “vs” means

  1. noun

    a unit of potential equal to the potential difference between two points on a conductor carrying a current of 1 ampere when the power dissipated between the two points is 1 watt; equivalent to the potential difference across a resistance of 1 ohm when 1 ampere of current flows through it

  2. noun

    a soft silvery white toxic metallic element used in steel alloys; it occurs in several complex minerals including carnotite and vanadinite

  3. noun

    the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one

Say it in a sentence

The scoreboard simply read home team vs the visitors.
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

vs”, answered

How do you pronounce “vs”?

“vs” is pronounced /ˈviˈɛs/ (VEE-es) in American English and /viːɛs/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “vi”. Build it as VI-ɛs, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “vs” have?

2: vi · ɛs. The beat lands on the first, “vi”.

Is “vs” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈviˈɛs/ (VEE-es); British English says /viːɛs/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “vs” mean?

As a noun: a unit of potential equal to the potential difference between two points on a conductor carrying a current of 1 ampere when the power dissipated between the two points is 1 watt; equivalent to the potential difference across a resistance of 1 ohm when 1 ampere of current flows through it For example: “The scoreboard simply read home team vs the visitors.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “vs”?

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

Practise this word

Now say “vs” 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.