How to pronounce bound
Say it like BOWND. Bound is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
- BOWND
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Bound pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- BOWNDSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ow" in now.
American vs British pronunciation of bound
American and British speakers say bound in essentially the same way: /baʊnd/ in the US and /baʊnd/ in the UK.
British respelling: BOWND.
What does bound mean?
- simple past and past participle of bind How to pronounce bind“I bound the splint to my leg.”
- Obliged (to).“You are not legally bound to reply.”
- That cannot stand alone as a free word.
- Constrained by a quantifier.
- Ready to start or go (to); moving in the direction (of).“Which way are you bound?, I'm already homeward bound.”
- Very likely (to), certain to“They were bound to come into conflict eventually.”
Where does bound come from?
From Middle English bound, bund (preterite) and bounden, bunden, ibunden, ȝebunden (past participle), from Old English bund- and bunden, ġebunden respectively.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with bound
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of bound.
Questions about saying bound
How do you pronounce bound?
Say BOWND. The American pronunciation is /baʊnd/. In British English it is /baʊnd/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in bound?
Bound is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: BOWND.
Do Americans and Brits say bound the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /baʊnd/ and the British form is /baʊnd/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.