How to Pronounce Sum

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

sum

Tap to hear · American accent

Accent

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Speed

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1

Syllable

3

Letters

/sʌm/

IPA

💡 Tip for remembering “sum”

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

Sounds exactly like: some — easy to mix up when writing.

What does sum mean?

noun

  1. A quantity obtained by addition or aggregation.

    “The sum of 3 and 4 is 7.”

  2. (often plural) An arithmetic computation, especially one posed to a student as an exercise (not necessarily limited to addition).

    “We're learning about division, and the sums are tricky.”

verb

  1. To add together.
  2. To give a summary of.

Synonyms

calculationcomputationcentercentrecoreessencegistheartaddadd together

Hear “sum” 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 sum

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

thrumglumbumsuccumbhumhumdrumoutcomeovercomeplumbnumbcomeplum

Related words

totalsummateamountaddgistnitty-gritty

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "sum"?▾

"Sum" has one syllable.

What is the IPA transcription of "sum"?▾

The IPA transcription of "sum" is /sʌm/.

What does "sum" mean?▾

Sum: A quantity obtained by addition or aggregation.

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