How to Pronounce Hire

To pronounce "hire", say HIR-e — 2 syllables, IPA /haɪə/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

hire

Tap to hear · American accent

Accent

If an accent sounds the same, your device is missing that voice — it falls back to the closest one.

Speed

Syllable by syllable — tap each one

Practice: Record & Compare

Record yourself saying hire, then compare with the target. Your audio stays on this device — nothing is uploaded.

2

Syllables

4

Letters

/haɪə/

IPA

💡 Tip for remembering “hire”

"hire" has 2 syllables: hir-e. It rhymes with desire and inquire, if that helps it stick.

Sounds exactly like: higher, hyer, heier, hier — easy to mix up when writing.

What does hire mean?

noun

  1. Payment for the temporary use of something.

    “The sign offered pedalos on hire.”

  2. Reward, payment.

Synonyms

employemployment

Hear “hire” 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 hire

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

desireinquirespireacquireesquirepyrepriorsirefirequagmireenquiretwire

Related words

employemploymentcharterrentleasetakeengagementengage

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "hire"?▾

"Hire" has 2 syllables: hir · e.

What is the IPA transcription of "hire"?▾

The IPA transcription of "hire" is /haɪə/.

What does "hire" mean?▾

Hire: Payment for the temporary use of something.

Want the definition, translations into 8 languages, and read-aloud for full sentences?

Open “hire” in the full dictionary →