How to pronounce afford
Say it like uh-FORD. Afford has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (FORD).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce afford. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- uh
- FORD
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Afford pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- uhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- FORDSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "aw" in law.
American vs British pronunciation of afford
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: uh-FAWD.
What does afford mean?
- be able to spare or give up“I can't afford to spend two hours with this person”
- be the cause or source of“He gave me a lot of trouble”“Our meeting afforded much interesting information”
- have the financial means to do something or buy something“We can't afford to send our children to college”“Can you afford this car?”
Where does afford come from?
From Middle English afforthen, aforthen, avorthien, from earlier iforthen, iforthien, ȝeforthien, from Old English forþian, ġeforþian (“to further, accomplish, afford”), from Proto-Germanic *furþōną, from Proto-Germanic *furþą (“forth, forw
Words that rhyme with afford
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of afford.
Questions about saying afford
How do you pronounce afford?
Say uh-FORD. The American pronunciation is /əˈfɔrd/. In British English it is /əˈfɔːd/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in afford?
Afford has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (FORD). Broken into parts: uh · FORD.
Is afford pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead. The British form is /əˈfɔːd/ (uh-FAWD).