How to pronounce brood
Say it like BROOD. Brood 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 brood. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- BROOD
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Brood pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- BROODSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "oo" in food.
American vs British pronunciation of brood
American and British speakers say brood in essentially the same way: /brud/ in the US and /bruːd/ in the UK.
British respelling: BROOD.
What does brood mean?
- To keep an egg warm to make it hatch.“In some species of birds, both the mother and father brood the eggs.”
- To protect (something that is gradually maturing); to foster.“Under the rock was a midshipman fish, brooding a mass of eggs.”
- (typically with over, on or about) To dwell upon one's thoughts moodily and at length, mainly alone.“He sat brooding over the upcoming battle, fearing the outcome.”
- The young of certain animals, especially a group of young birds or fowl hatched at one time by the same mother.
- The young of any egg-laying creature, especially if produced at the same time.
- The eggs and larvae of social insects such as bees, ants and some wasps, especially when gathered together in special brood chambers or combs within the colony.
- Kept or reared for breeding.“brood ducks”
Where does brood come from?
From Middle English brood, brod, from Old English brōd (“brood; fetus; breeding, hatching”), from Proto-Germanic *brōduz (“heat, breeding”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreh₁- (“breath, mist, vapor, steam”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with brood
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of brood.
Questions about saying brood
How do you pronounce brood?
Say BROOD. The American pronunciation is /brud/. In British English it is /bruːd/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in brood?
Brood is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: BROOD.
Do Americans and Brits say brood the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /brud/ and the British form is /bruːd/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.