How to pronounce die
Say it like DY. Die is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
- DY
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Die pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- DYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in time.
American vs British pronunciation of die
American and British speakers say die in essentially the same way: /daɪ/ in the US and /daɪ/ in the UK.
British respelling: DY.
What does die mean?
- To stop living; to become dead; to undergo death.
- followed by of as an indication of direct cause; general use“He died of malaria.”
- followed by from as an indication of direct cause; general use, though somewhat more common in the context of medicine or the sciences“He died from heart failure.”
- The cubical part of a pedestal; a plinth.
- A device for cutting into a specified shape.
- A device used to cut an external screw thread. (Internal screw threads are cut with a tap.)
- An isohedral polyhedron, usually a cube, with numbers or symbols on each side and thrown in games of chance.“Most dice are six-sided.”
Where does die come from?
From Middle English deyen, probably from Old Norse deyja, from Proto-Germanic *dawjaną (“to die”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
- be born
Words that rhyme with die
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of die.
Words that sound like die
Questions about saying die
How do you pronounce die?
Say DY. The American pronunciation is /daɪ/. In British English it is /daɪ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in die?
Die is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: DY.
Do Americans and Brits say die the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /daɪ/ and the British form is /daɪ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as die?
Die sounds the same as dai, dye, di in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.