How to Pronounce “un”
word
/ˈən/, /ˈjuˈɛn/
uhn, yoo-EN
/ˈʌn/, /ˌjuːˈɛn/
uhn, yoo-EN
IPA Transcription
American English
/ˈən/, /ˈjuˈɛn/
British English
/ˈʌn/, /ˌjuːˈɛn/
Simplified Pronunciation
US
uhn, yoo-EN
UK
uhn, yoo-EN
Listen in Context
In unhappy, un means “not.”
I knew un- usually meant “not,” but I didn’t realize it could also mean “reverse the action.”
Once you understand un, words like unhappy and unfair become much easier to guess.
We add un to some words to make the opposite meaning.