How to pronounce deluge
Say it like DEL-yooj. Deluge has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (DEL).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce deluge. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- DEL
- yooj
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Deluge pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- DELSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- yoojKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "oo" in food.
American vs British pronunciation of deluge
American and British speakers say deluge in essentially the same way: /ˈdɛljudʒ/ in the US and /ˈdɛljuːdʒ/ in the UK.
British respelling: DEL-yooj.
What does deluge mean?
- A great flood or rain.“The deluge continued for hours, drenching the land and slowing traffic to a halt.”
- An overwhelming amount of something; anything that overwhelms or causes great destruction.“The rock concert was a deluge of sound.”
- A system for flooding or drenching a space, container, or area with water in an emergency to prevent or extinguish a fire.
- To flood with water.“Some areas were deluged with a month's worth of rain in 24 hours.”
- To overwhelm.“After the announcement, they were deluged with requests for more information.”
Where does deluge come from?
From Middle English deluge, from Old French deluge, alteration of earlier deluvie, from Latin dīluvium, from dīluō (“wash away”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying deluge
How do you pronounce deluge?
Say DEL-yooj. The American pronunciation is /ˈdɛljudʒ/. In British English it is /ˈdɛljuːdʒ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in deluge?
Deluge has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (DEL). Broken into parts: DEL · yooj.
Do Americans and Brits say deluge the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈdɛljudʒ/ and the British form is /ˈdɛljuːdʒ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.