How to Pronounce Fan

To pronounce "fan", say FAN — one syllable, IPA /fæn/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

fan

Tap to hear · American accent

Accent

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Speed

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1

Syllable

3

Letters

/fæn/

IPA

💡 Tip for remembering “fan”

"fan" is a single-syllable word — say it in one clean beat. It rhymes with deadpan and span, if that helps it stick.

Sounds exactly like: phan, fann — easy to mix up when writing.

What does fan mean?

noun

  1. A hand-held device consisting of concertinaed material, or slats of material, gathered together at one end, that may be opened out into the shape of a sector of a circle and waved back and forth in order to move air towards oneself and cool oneself.
  2. An electrical or mechanical device for moving air, used for cooling people, machinery, etc.

verb

  1. To blow air on (something) by means of a fan (hand-held, mechanical or electrical) or otherwise.

    “We enjoyed standing at the edge of the cliff, being fanned by the wind.”

  2. To slap (a behind, especially).

Hear “fan” in real sentences

Real example sentences from Tatoeba (CC-BY) — tap to hear each one, or see it used on YouGlish.

Words that rhyme with fan

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

deadpanspandivanclanmanpanqueancaravancatamaranharmattantranscan

Related words

winnowbuffafficionadoloverdevoteepunkahfuelrefrigerator

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "fan"?▾

"Fan" has one syllable.

What is the IPA transcription of "fan"?▾

The IPA transcription of "fan" is /fæn/.

What does "fan" mean?▾

Fan: A hand-held device consisting of concertinaed material, or slats of material, gathered together at one end, that may be opened out into the shape of a sector of a circle and waved back and forth in order to move air towards oneself and cool oneself.

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