How to pronounce bead
Say it like BEED. Bead 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 bead. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- BEED
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Bead pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- BEEDSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of bead
American and British speakers say bead in essentially the same way: /bid/ in the US and /biːd/ in the UK.
British respelling: BEED.
What does bead mean?
- Each in a string of small balls making up the rosary or paternoster.
- A small, round object with a hole to allow it to be threaded on a cord or wire, particularly for decorative purposes.
- Various small, round solid objects.
- To form into a bead.“The raindrops beaded on the car's waxed finish.”
- To apply beads to.“She spent the morning beading the gown.”
- To form into a bead.“He beaded some solder for the ends of the wire.”
Where does bead come from?
Cognate with Saterland Frisian Gebäd (“prayer”), Cimbrian gapéet (“prayer”), Dutch gebed and bede (“prayer”), German Gebet (“prayer”), Low German Gebett (“prayer”), Luxembourgish Gebiet (“prayer”), Vilamovian gybāt (“prayer”).
Words that rhyme with bead
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of bead.
Questions about saying bead
How do you pronounce bead?
Say BEED. The American pronunciation is /bid/. In British English it is /biːd/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in bead?
Bead is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: BEED.
Do Americans and Brits say bead the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /bid/ and the British form is /biːd/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.