How to pronounce deal
Say it like DEEL. Deal 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 deal. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- DEEL
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Deal pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- DEELSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of deal
American and British speakers say deal in essentially the same way: /dil/ in the US and /diːl/ in the UK.
British respelling: DEEL.
What does deal mean?
- act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression“This book deals with incest”“The course covered all of Western Civilization”
- take into consideration for exemplifying purposes“Take the case of China”“Consider the following case”
- take action with respect to (someone or something)“How are we going to deal with this problem?”“The teacher knew how to deal with these lazy students”
- a particular instance of buying or selling“it was a package deal”“I had no further trade with him”
- an agreement between parties (usually arrived at after discussion) fixing obligations of each“he made a bargain with the devil”“he rose to prominence through a series of shady deals”
- (often followed by of) a large number or amount or extent“a batch of letters”“a deal of trouble”
Where does deal come from?
From Middle English del, dele, from Old English dǣl (“part, share, portion”), from Proto-West Germanic *daili, from Proto-Germanic *dailiz (“part, deal”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰ(h₁)-oy-lo- (“part, watershed”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with deal
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of deal.
Questions about saying deal
How do you pronounce deal?
Say DEEL. The American pronunciation is /dil/. In British English it is /diːl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in deal?
Deal is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: DEEL.
Do Americans and Brits say deal the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /dil/ and the British form is /diːl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.