How to pronounce bent
Say it like BENT. Bent 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 bent. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- BENT
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Bent pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- BENTSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
American vs British pronunciation of bent
American and British speakers say bent in essentially the same way: /bɛnt/ in the US and /bɛnt/ in the UK.
British respelling: BENT.
What does bent mean?
- a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way“the set of his mind was obvious”
- grass for pastures and lawns especially bowling and putting greens
- an area of grassland unbounded by fences or hedges
- fixed in your purpose“bent on going to the theater”“dead set against intervening”
- used of the back and knees; stooped“on bended knee”“with bent (or bended) back”
- of metal e.g.“bent nails”“a car with a crumpled front end”
Where does bent come from?
From Middle English bent-, preterite stem (as in bente, benten, etc.), and Middle English bent, ibent, ybent, past participle forms of Middle English benden (“to bend”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with bent
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of bent.
Questions about saying bent
How do you pronounce bent?
Say BENT. The American pronunciation is /bɛnt/. In British English it is /bɛnt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in bent?
Bent is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: BENT.
Do Americans and Brits say bent the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /bɛnt/ and the British form is /bɛnt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.