How to pronounce breeding
Say it like BREE-ding. Breeding has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (BREE).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce breeding. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- BREE
- ding
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Breeding pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- BREESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- dingKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of breeding
American and British speakers say breeding in essentially the same way: /ˈbridɪŋ/ in the US and /ˈbriːdɪŋ/ in the UK.
British respelling: BREE-ding.
What does breeding mean?
- elegance by virtue of fineness of manner and expression
- the result of good upbringing (especially knowledge of correct social behavior)“a woman of breeding and refinement”
- helping someone grow up to be an accepted member of the community“they debated whether nature or nurture was more important”
- producing offspring or set aside especially for producing offspring“the breeding population”“retained a few bulls for breeding purposes”
Where does breeding come from?
From Middle English breedyng, bredynge (“gestation, incubation, propagation, hatching; engineering, formation, development, growth”), equivalent to breed + -ing.
Words that rhyme with breeding
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of breeding.
Questions about saying breeding
How do you pronounce breeding?
Say BREE-ding. The American pronunciation is /ˈbridɪŋ/. In British English it is /ˈbriːdɪŋ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in breeding?
Breeding has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (BREE). Broken into parts: BREE · ding.
Do Americans and Brits say breeding the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈbridɪŋ/ and the British form is /ˈbriːdɪŋ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.