How to pronounce crib
Say it like KRIB. Crib 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 crib. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- KRIB
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Crib pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- KRIBSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of crib
American and British speakers say crib in essentially the same way: /krɪb/ in the US and /krɪb/ in the UK.
British respelling: KRIB.
What does crib mean?
- A baby’s bed with high, often slatted, often moveable sides, suitable for a child who has outgrown a cradle or bassinet.
- A bed for a child older than a baby.
- A small sleeping berth in a packet or other small vessel.
- To place or confine in a crib.
- To shut up or confine in a narrow habitation; to cage; to cramp.
- To collect one or more passages and/or references for use in a speech, written document or as an aid for some task; to create a crib sheet.“I cribbed the recipe from the Food Network site, but made a few changes of my own.”
Where does crib come from?
The criminal sense may derive from the 'basket' sense, circa the mid 18th century, in that a poacher could conceal poachings in such a basket (see the 1772 Samuel Foote quotation).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with crib
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of crib.
Questions about saying crib
How do you pronounce crib?
Say KRIB. The American pronunciation is /krɪb/. In British English it is /krɪb/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in crib?
Crib is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: KRIB.
Do Americans and Brits say crib the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /krɪb/ and the British form is /krɪb/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.