How to pronounce “why”
Say “why” in one beat
why
/waɪ/
The voice you hear here is American; a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- whywaɪ
- IPA (American)
- /waɪ/
- IPA (British)
- /waɪ/
- Also accepted
- /hwaɪ/
- Respelling
- WY
- Syllables
- 1 — why
- Stress
- One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /waɪ/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
- Part of speech
- noun
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
What “why” means
- noun
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase `the whys and wherefores'
Say it in a sentence
“Nobody could explain why the machine kept stopping at midday.”“why”, answered
How do you pronounce “why”?
“why” is pronounced /waɪ/ (WY), and /hwaɪ/ is also accepted — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /waɪ/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.
How many syllables does “why” have?
One, despite the 1 vowel letters in the spelling. The whole word is /waɪ/ — a single beat.
Is “why” /waɪ/ or /hwaɪ/?
Both. /waɪ/ is the form dictionaries list first (WY).
What does “why” mean?
As a noun: the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase `the whys and wherefores' For example: “Nobody could explain why the machine kept stopping at midday.”
Where is the stress in “why”?
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /waɪ/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Now say “why” 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.