How to pronounce thumb in American English

IPA /θʌm/ Syllables 1 · thuhm Stress 1st syllable

THUHM

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Americans pronounce thumb as THUHM (/θʌm/). It's 3 sounds in 1 syllable. Short, clean, and front-of-mouth — every sound earns its place.

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Clarity

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Stress

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Intonation

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Fluency

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Sound by sound

Every sound in "thumb".

1 syllable, 3 sounds. Explore each sound's mouth shape and how it's made.

th/θ/

Place the very tip of your tongue slightly between your teeth. Blow air gently around it without voicing.

uh/ʌ/

Relax your lips, jaw, and tongue completely. Drop your jaw slightly and keep the tongue neutral.

m/m/

Press your lips together. Air flows through your nose. Vocal cords vibrate.

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Questions

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Is the American pronunciation of "thumb" different from British English?

American English uses different vowel shapes, a relaxed retroflex R, and connected-speech tricks like flap-T and glottal-stop T that British Received Pronunciation generally avoids. The respell "THUHM" reflects the casual American form; British dictionaries typically print a citation form with crisper consonants and different vowel choices.