How to pronounce bend
Say it like BEND. Bend 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 bend. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- BEND
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Bend pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- BENDSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
American vs British pronunciation of bend
American and British speakers say bend in essentially the same way: /bɛnd/ in the US and /bɛnd/ in the UK.
British respelling: BEND.
What does bend mean?
- form a curve“The stick does not bend”
- change direction“The road bends”
- cause (a plastic object) to assume a crooked or angular form“bend the rod”“twist the dough into a braid”
- a circular segment of a curve“a bend in the road”“a crook in the path”
- movement that causes the formation of a curve
- curved segment (of a road or river or railroad track etc.)
Where does bend come from?
Cognate with Middle High German benden (“to fetter”), Danish bænde (“to bend”), Norwegian bende (“to bend”), Faroese benda (“to bend, inflect”), Icelandic benda (“to bend”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with bend
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of bend.
Questions about saying bend
How do you pronounce bend?
Say BEND. The American pronunciation is /bɛnd/. In British English it is /bɛnd/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in bend?
Bend is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: BEND.
Do Americans and Brits say bend the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /bɛnd/ and the British form is /bɛnd/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.