How to pronounce douse
Say it like DOWS. Douse 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 douse. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- DOWS
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Douse pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- DOWSSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ow" in now.
American vs British pronunciation of douse
American and British speakers say douse in essentially the same way: /daʊs/ in the US and /daʊs/ in the UK.
British respelling: DOWS.
What does douse mean?
- To plunge suddenly into water; to duck; to immerse.
- To fall suddenly into water.
- To put out; to extinguish.
- To strike, beat, or thrash.
- To strike or lower in haste; to slacken suddenly“Douse the topsail!”
- A sudden plunging into water.
Where does douse come from?
Probably of North Germanic origin, related to Swedish dunsa (“to plumb down, fall clumsily”), Danish dunse (“to thump”).
Words that rhyme with douse
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of douse.
Questions about saying douse
How do you pronounce douse?
Say DOWS. The American pronunciation is /daʊs/. In British English it is /daʊs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in douse?
Douse is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: DOWS.
Do Americans and Brits say douse the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /daʊs/ and the British form is /daʊs/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.