How to pronounce dean
Say it like DEEN. Dean 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 dean. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- DEEN
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Dean pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- DEENSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of dean
American and British speakers say dean in essentially the same way: /din/ in the US and /diːn/ in the UK.
British respelling: DEEN.
What does dean mean?
- an administrator in charge of a division of a university or college
- United States film actor whose moody rebellious roles made him a cult figure (1931-1955)
- a man who is the senior member of a group“he is the dean of foreign correspondents”
Where does dean come from?
From Middle English den, deen (“dean”), from Anglo-Norman deen and continental Old French deien (modern French doyen), from Latin decānus.
Words that rhyme with dean
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of dean.
Questions about saying dean
How do you pronounce dean?
Say DEEN. The American pronunciation is /din/. In British English it is /diːn/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in dean?
Dean is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: DEEN.
Do Americans and Brits say dean the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /din/ and the British form is /diːn/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.