How to pronounce brief
Say it like BREEF. Brief 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 brief. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- BREEF
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Brief pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- BREEFSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of brief
American and British speakers say brief in essentially the same way: /brif/ in the US and /briːf/ in the UK.
British respelling: BREEF.
What does brief mean?
- of short duration or distance“a brief stay in the country”
- concise and succinct“covered the matter in a brief statement”
- (of clothing) very short“an abbreviated swimsuit”“a brief bikini”
- a document stating the facts and points of law of a client's case
- a condensed written summary or abstract
- give essential information to someone“The reporters were briefed about the President's plan to invade”
Where does brief come from?
From Middle English breef, breve, bref, from Old French brief, bref, from Latin brevis (“short”), from Proto-Indo-European *mréǵʰus (“short, brief”).
Words that rhyme with brief
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of brief.
Questions about saying brief
How do you pronounce brief?
Say BREEF. The American pronunciation is /brif/. In British English it is /briːf/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in brief?
Brief is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: BREEF.
Do Americans and Brits say brief the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /brif/ and the British form is /briːf/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.