How to pronounce bless
Say it like BLES. Bless 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 bless. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- BLES
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Bless pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- BLESSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
American vs British pronunciation of bless
American and British speakers say bless in essentially the same way: /blɛs/ in the US and /blɛs/ in the UK.
British respelling: BLES.
What does bless mean?
- give a benediction to“The dying man blessed his son”
- confer prosperity or happiness on
- make the sign of the cross over someone in order to call on God for protection; consecrate
Where does bless come from?
From Middle English blessen, from Old English bletsian (“to consecrate (with blood)”), from Proto-West Germanic *blōdisōn (“to sprinkle, mark or hallow with blood”), from Proto-Germanic *blōþą (“blood”), of uncertain origin, possibly from P
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
- curse
Words that rhyme with bless
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of bless.
Questions about saying bless
How do you pronounce bless?
Say BLES. The American pronunciation is /blɛs/. In British English it is /blɛs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in bless?
Bless is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: BLES.
Do Americans and Brits say bless the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /blɛs/ and the British form is /blɛs/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.