How to pronounce dam
Say it like DAM. Dam 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 dam. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- DAM
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Dam pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- DAMSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
American vs British pronunciation of dam
American and British speakers say dam in essentially the same way: /dæm/ in the US and /dæm/ in the UK.
British respelling: DAM.
What does dam mean?
- a barrier constructed to contain the flow of water or to keep out the sea
- a metric unit of length equal to ten meters
- female parent of an animal especially domestic livestock
- obstruct with, or as if with, a dam“dam the gorges of the Yangtse River”
Where does dam come from?
From Middle English dam, from Old English *damm, from Proto-West Germanic *damm, from Proto-Germanic *dammaz.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
- dike
Words that rhyme with dam
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of dam.
Questions about saying dam
How do you pronounce dam?
Say DAM. The American pronunciation is /dæm/. In British English it is /dæm/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in dam?
Dam is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: DAM.
Do Americans and Brits say dam the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /dæm/ and the British form is /dæm/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.