How to pronounce drain
Say it like DRAYN. Drain 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 drain. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- DRAYN
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Drain pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- DRAYNSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of drain
American and British speakers say drain in essentially the same way: /dreɪn/ in the US and /dreɪn/ in the UK.
British respelling: DRAYN.
What does drain mean?
- flow off gradually“The rain water drains into this big vat”
- deplete of resources“The exercise class drains me of energy”
- empty of liquid; drain the liquid from“We drained the oil tank”
- emptying something accomplished by allowing liquid to run out of it
- tube inserted into a body cavity (as during surgery) to remove unwanted material
- a pipe through which liquid is carried away
Where does drain come from?
Inherited from Middle English *dreinen, from Old English drēahnian, from Proto-West Germanic *drauhnōn, from Proto-Germanic *drauhnōną, from *draugiz, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰrewgʰ-, from *dʰer-.
Words that rhyme with drain
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of drain.
Questions about saying drain
How do you pronounce drain?
Say DRAYN. The American pronunciation is /dreɪn/. In British English it is /dreɪn/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in drain?
Drain is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: DRAYN.
Do Americans and Brits say drain the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /dreɪn/ and the British form is /dreɪn/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.