How to pronounce death
Say it like DETH. Death 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 death. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- DETH
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Death pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- DETHSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
American vs British pronunciation of death
American and British speakers say death in essentially the same way: /dɛθ/ in the US and /dɛθ/ in the UK.
British respelling: DETH.
What does death mean?
- the event of dying or departure from life“her death came as a terrible shock”“upon your decease the capital will pass to your grandchildren”
- the permanent end of all life functions in an organism or part of an organism“the animal died a painful death”
- the absence of life or state of being dead“he seemed more content in death than he had ever been in life”
Where does death come from?
Cognate with Scots daeth, daith, death, deeth, deith (“death”), North Frisian Duar, duas, düüs (“death”), Saterland Frisian Dood (“death”), West Frisian dea (“death”), Dutch dood (“death”), German Tod, Todt (“death”), Limburgish doead (“dea
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with death
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of death.
Questions about saying death
How do you pronounce death?
Say DETH. The American pronunciation is /dɛθ/. In British English it is /dɛθ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in death?
Death is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: DETH.
Do Americans and Brits say death the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /dɛθ/ and the British form is /dɛθ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.