How to pronounce behead
Say it like bih-HED. Behead has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (HED).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce behead. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- bih
- HED
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Behead pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- bihKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- HEDSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
American vs British pronunciation of behead
American and British speakers say behead in essentially the same way: /bɪˈhɛd/ in the US and /bɪˈhɛd/ in the UK.
British respelling: bih-HED.
What does behead mean?
- To deliberately remove the head of; to cut off (someone's) head.
Where does behead come from?
From Middle English beheden, bihefden, biheveden, from Old English behēafdian (“to behead”), from Proto-West Germanic *bihaubudōn, *bihaubidōn (“to behead”), equivalent to be- (“off, away”) + head.
Words that rhyme with behead
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of behead.
Questions about saying behead
How do you pronounce behead?
Say bih-HED. The American pronunciation is /bɪˈhɛd/. In British English it is /bɪˈhɛd/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in behead?
Behead has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (HED). Broken into parts: bih · HED.
Do Americans and Brits say behead the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /bɪˈhɛd/ and the British form is /bɪˈhɛd/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.