How to pronounce cruise
Say it like KROOZ. Cruise 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 cruise. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- KROOZ
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Cruise pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- KROOZSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "oo" in food.
American vs British pronunciation of cruise
American and British speakers say cruise in essentially the same way: /kruz/ in the US and /kruːz/ in the UK.
British respelling: KROOZ.
What does cruise mean?
- drive around aimlessly but ostentatiously and at leisure“She cruised the neighborhood in her new convertible”
- travel at a moderate speed“Please keep your seat belt fastened while the plane is reaching cruising altitude”
- sail or travel about for pleasure, relaxation, or sightseeing“We were cruising in the Caribbean”
- an ocean trip taken for pleasure
Where does cruise come from?
Borrowed from Dutch kruisen (“cross, sail around”), from kruis (“cross”), from Middle Dutch cruce, from Latin crux.
Words that rhyme with cruise
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of cruise.
Questions about saying cruise
How do you pronounce cruise?
Say KROOZ. The American pronunciation is /kruz/. In British English it is /kruːz/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in cruise?
Cruise is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: KROOZ.
Do Americans and Brits say cruise the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /kruz/ and the British form is /kruːz/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.