How to pronounce dance
Say it like DANS. Dance 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 dance. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- DANS
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Dance pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- DANSSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
American vs British pronunciation of dance
- British speakers use the long "ah" vowel of father where Americans use the "a" of cat.
British respelling: DAHNS.
What does dance mean?
- an artistic form of nonverbal communication
- a party of people assembled for dancing
- taking a series of rhythmical steps (and movements) in time to music
- move in a graceful and rhythmical way“The young girl danced into the room”
- move in a pattern; usually to musical accompaniment; do or perform a dance“My husband and I like to dance at home to the radio”
- skip, leap, or move up and down or sideways“Dancing flames”“The children danced with joy”
Where does dance come from?
Inherited from Middle English dauncen, borrowed from Anglo-Norman dauncer, from Vulgar Latin *dantiāre, of uncertain origin.
Words that rhyme with dance
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of dance.
Questions about saying dance
How do you pronounce dance?
Say DANS. The American pronunciation is /dæns/. In British English it is /dɑːns/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in dance?
Dance is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: DANS.
Is dance pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. British speakers use the long "ah" vowel of father where Americans use the "a" of cat. The British form is /dɑːns/ (DAHNS).