How to pronounce bad
Say it like BAD. Bad is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce bad. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- BAD
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Bad pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- BADSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
American vs British pronunciation of bad
American and British speakers say bad in essentially the same way: /bæd/ in the US and /bæd/ in the UK.
British respelling: BAD.
What does bad mean?
- having undesirable or negative qualities“a bad report card”“his sloppy appearance made a bad impression”
- very intense“a bad headache”“in a big rage”
- feeling physical discomfort or pain (tough is occasionally used colloquially for bad)“my throat feels bad”“she felt bad all over”
- with great intensity (bad is a nonstandard variant for badly)“the injury hurt badly”“the buildings were badly shaken”
- very much; strongly“I wanted it badly enough to work hard for it”“the cables had sagged badly”
- that which is below standard or expectations as of ethics or decency“take the bad with the good”
Where does bad come from?
Alternatively, perhaps a loan from Old Norse into Middle English, compare Norwegian bad (“effort, trouble, fear”, neuter noun), East Danish bad (“damage, destruction, fight”, neuter noun), from the Proto-Germanic noun *badą, whence also Pro
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with bad
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of bad.
Questions about saying bad
How do you pronounce bad?
Say BAD. The American pronunciation is /bæd/. In British English it is /bæd/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in bad?
Bad is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: BAD.
Do Americans and Brits say bad the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /bæd/ and the British form is /bæd/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.