# How do you pronounce "aunt"? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 19, 2015, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-aunt/725574 "2015-07-19T02:56:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![TheChileanBlob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thechileanblob/32/435_2.png) [@TheChileanBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheChileanBlob)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2015, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-aunt/725574/41 "2015-07-19T21:54:14Z")
Awwwnt rhymes with haunt. Ahnt rhymes with want. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2015, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-aunt/725574/42 "2015-07-19T22:03:59Z")
So, to summarize, I’m seeing four distinct pronunciations here: Ant (like the insect); awnt (like taunt, flaunt, haunt); ahnt (something like “want”); and aynt (like ain’t). ---
**Author:** ![Sangahyando](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f14d63/32.png) [@Sangahyando](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sangahyando)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2015, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-aunt/725574/43 "2015-07-19T22:23:22Z")
> [@WotNot](#): > > Well, your knowledge appears to be inadequate. “Ahnt” isn’t even universal within England, never mind the rest of the UK. I haven’t done any sort of a survey, but my impression is that “ant” is more usual in the North of England – it’s certainly very common. > [@Majestic\_Lee](#): > > I’m a (north of England) “_Brit_” and I’ve never heard anyone from round here pronounce it as anything other that “ANT” I’m from the more southerly parts of England – have spent time in the North, but have never been aware of hearing any Briton, ever, pronounce the word as “ant”. I admit, though, that as regards spoken language I have a poor ear, and am not very perceptive – am quite ready to accept that I’ve been oblivious to what should have been obvious. Thanks – ignorance fought. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2015, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-aunt/725574/44 "2015-07-19T22:31:58Z")
> [@FloatyGimpy](#): > > **Aren’t** and **can’t** rhyme for you? So is it aren’t and carn’t? Oh and you said they rhyme with aunt, so now I’m really confused. I don’t pronounce the “r” in “aren’t”. In IPA terms, “aunt” and “aren’t” are both /ɑːnt/ for me (an Australian who has lived in the north of England and in the Midwest of the United States, but who has not picked up most of the local pronunciations). ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2015, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-aunt/725574/45 "2015-07-19T22:45:11Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > So, to summarize, I’m seeing four distinct pronunciations here: Ant (like the insect); awnt (like taunt, flaunt, haunt); ahnt (something like “want”); and aynt (like ain’t). Aunt doesn’t rhyme with haunt OR want, and isn’t pronounced like ant or ain’t… Not sure if I’m describing a fifth pronunciation of aunt, or just a second pronunciation of haunt or want 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2015, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-aunt/725574/46 "2015-07-20T00:19:50Z")
Ant. Except with Ahnt Anna. Because she insists and has a mean backhand for someone in their 90s. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2015, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-aunt/725574/47 "2015-07-20T00:22:22Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > I don’t pronounce the “r” in “aren’t”. In IPA terms, “aunt” and “aren’t” are both /ɑːnt/ for me (an Australian who has lived in the north of England and in the Midwest of the United States, but who has not picked up most of the local pronunciations). Ahhh, totally makes sense! ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2015, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-aunt/725574/48 "2015-07-20T00:44:22Z")
Naturally and by birth, “ant,” but sometime in high school the insect homophone started bugging me and I started intentionally using “ahnt”. These days, I’m too lazy to care much and too busy to remember, so it’s a crapshoot which one comes out of my mouth. ---
**Author:** ![G0sp3l](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@G0sp3l](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G0sp3l)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2015, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-aunt/725574/49 "2015-07-20T02:16:23Z")
I’m black ish and I grew up in the south. GA to be exact. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2015, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-aunt/725574/50 "2015-07-20T02:32:36Z")
> [@Eliahna](#): > > Aunt doesn’t rhyme with haunt OR want, and isn’t pronounced like ant or ain’t… Not sure if I’m describing a fifth pronunciation of aunt, or just a second pronunciation of haunt or want 🙂 Aunt can’t Aunt want Aunt haunt Aunt ant Aunt ain’t > **[auntcantwanthauntantaint.aac | Powered by Box](https://app.box.com/s/ctxm87smxjrmtki0yzi34cox9ip2yojc)** ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2015, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-aunt/725574/51 "2015-07-20T02:46:44Z")
I say “ant” but my nieces, whose mom comes from some sort of east-coast linage, say “ahnt.” My dad likes to rib the girls behind their backs for speaking so “uppity.” What a guy. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2015, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-aunt/725574/52 "2015-07-20T03:09:26Z")
FWIW - I grew up and live in the pacific northwest. I’m black. In my idiolect haunt, want, and aunt all rhyme. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2015, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-aunt/725574/53 "2015-07-20T03:16:11Z")
> [@Kamino\_Neko](#): > > ‘Something else.’ > > If it’s ‘my aunt’, it’s ahnt. > If it’s ‘Aunt Mary’, it’s ant. For me it’s the opposite: “Ahnt Gladys” but we’re going to visit my “Ant” - upper Midwest - German and Scandinavian heritage. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2015, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-aunt/725574/54 "2015-07-20T03:20:30Z")
Ant. I’d never heard it pronounced awnt until my brother married an east cost Canadian girl. There sure seems to be an east coast correlation with awnt, whether you’re Canadian or American. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2015, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-aunt/725574/55 "2015-07-20T09:43:19Z")
As a young child, I pronounced it the insect way. We moved to New Hampshire when I was 11 and just on the cusp of settling into my adult speech patterns. I quickly noticed that everyone around me said “awnt,” which certainly sounded prettier and in line with the spelling. For a while it was impossible for me to use the word comfortably: If I said “ant” it sounded ugly and uneducated. If I said “awnt” I felt like a pretentious twit, since I had grown up with “ants.” Eventually I realized I just had to make a conscious choice, so I went with “awnt.” Forty-five years later that is the only thing that sounds natural to me if I am talking about a particular person, ie Aunt Mary or Aunt Stella. However, having spent a great deal of time in Pacific regions as an adult, I now feel that “auntie” sounds the best and most natural, so if I am using the word in the general case, I’m just as likely to say auntie as I am to say awnt. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2015, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-aunt/725574/56 "2015-07-20T10:47:51Z")
I pronounce it “ant”. I grew in Baltimore, MD. ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2015, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-aunt/725574/57 "2015-07-20T11:04:42Z")
> [@TheChileanBlob](#): > > Awwwnt rhymes with haunt. > > Ahnt rhymes with want. Wait…haunt and want rhyme when I say them! ---
**Author:** ![HowSoonIsThen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@HowSoonIsThen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HowSoonIsThen)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2015, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-aunt/725574/58 "2015-07-20T11:24:20Z")
I assumed “Ahnt” rhymed with “can’t” and “aren’t”, not “want”. But it wouldn’t surprise me f someone said “want” rhymes with either of those words. This thread is the first time I’ve hear of the “Awwnt” pronunciation. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2015, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-aunt/725574/59 "2015-07-20T14:18:31Z")
I grew up in CA and have always pronounced it “ant”. Most of the people I’ve met here in FL pronounce it “ont” and I’ve heard many black people say “_unt_” (???) ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2015, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-aunt/725574/60 "2015-07-20T15:05:23Z")
Grew up in the mid-Atlantic. Ant. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-aunt/725574.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-aunt/725574.md?page=4)