How to pronounce blues
Say it like BLOOZ. Blues 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 blues. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- BLOOZ
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Blues pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- BLOOZSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "oo" in food.
American vs British pronunciation of blues
American and British speakers say blues in essentially the same way: /bluz/ in the US and /bluːz/ in the UK.
British respelling: BLOOZ.
What does blues mean?
- a type of folksong that originated among Black Americans at the beginning of the 20th century; has a melancholy sound from repeated use of blue notes
- a state of depression“he had a bad case of the blues”
Words that rhyme with blues
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of blues.
Questions about saying blues
How do you pronounce blues?
Say BLOOZ. The American pronunciation is /bluz/. In British English it is /bluːz/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in blues?
Blues is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: BLOOZ.
Do Americans and Brits say blues the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /bluz/ and the British form is /bluːz/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.