How to pronounce dream
Say it like DREEM. Dream 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 dream. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- DREEM
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Dream pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- DREEMSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of dream
American and British speakers say dream in essentially the same way: /drim/ in the US and /driːm/ in the UK.
British respelling: DREEM.
What does dream mean?
- a series of mental images and emotions occurring during sleep“I had a dream about you last night”
- imaginative thoughts indulged in while awake“he lives in a dream that has nothing to do with reality”
- a cherished desire“his ambition is to own his own business”
- have a daydream; indulge in a fantasy
- experience while sleeping“She claims to never dream”“He dreamt a strange scene”
Where does dream come from?
Attested words for “sleeping vision” in Old English, both of which appeared in The Dream of the Rood, were mǣting (Middle English mæte, mete), from an unclear source, and swefn (Modern English sweven), from Proto-Germanic *swefnaz, from Pro
Words that rhyme with dream
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of dream.
Questions about saying dream
How do you pronounce dream?
Say DREEM. The American pronunciation is /drim/. In British English it is /driːm/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in dream?
Dream is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: DREEM.
Do Americans and Brits say dream the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /drim/ and the British form is /driːm/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.