Hello!

If you’re wondering how to pronounce “hello”, here is a clear guide.

# How to Pronounce “Hello” in English

Word: hello
Phonetic (IPA): /həˈloʊ/ (American), /həˈləʊ/ (British)
Syllables: he-llo (2 syllables)

# Step-by-step pronunciation

  1. /hə/ – “heh” or a soft “huh”

    • Start with a light h sound: exhale gently while opening your mouth.
    • Add a relaxed vowel like the first sound in “about” /ə/.

  2. /ˈloʊ/ or /ˈləʊ/ – “loh”

    • Start with l: tongue tip touches the ridge behind your upper teeth.
    • Finish with a long oh sound:
      • American: /oʊ/ as in “go”, “no”
      • British: /əʊ/ as in “no”, “show”

Put it together: huh-LOH → hello.

You can hear audio examples and practice with slow/fast versions on sites like
Cambridge Dictionary – hello or
Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries – hello.

# Common Variations of “Hello” and Their Pronunciation

Here are other very common greetings with simple pronunciation guides:

  • Hi – /haɪ/
    Like the word “high”.

  • Hey – /heɪ/
    Rhymes with “day” and “say”.

  • Hello there – /həˈloʊ ðer/
    Just add “there” /ðer/ to “hello”.

For more everyday greetings and audio, you can explore:

If you tell me your native language, I can compare the sounds to similar words in your language to make pronunciation even easier.