How to pronounce dreary
Say it like DRIR-ee. Dreary has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (DRIR).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce dreary. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- DRIR
- ee
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Dreary pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- DRIRSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- eeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of dreary
American and British speakers say dreary in essentially the same way: /ˈdrɪri/ in the US and /ˈdrɪəri/ in the UK.
British respelling: DREER-ree.
What does dreary mean?
- Drab; dark, colorless, or cheerless.“It had rained for three days straight, and the dreary weather dragged the townspeople's spirits down.”
- A dreary person or thing.
Where does dreary come from?
From Middle English drery, from Old English drēoriġ (“sad”), from Proto-West Germanic *dreuʀag, from Proto-Germanic *dreuzagaz (“bloody”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰrews- (“to break, break off, crumble”), equivalent to drear + -y.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with dreary
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of dreary.
Questions about saying dreary
How do you pronounce dreary?
Say DRIR-ee. The American pronunciation is /ˈdrɪri/. In British English it is /ˈdrɪəri/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in dreary?
Dreary has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (DRIR). Broken into parts: DRIR · ee.
Do Americans and Brits say dreary the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈdrɪri/ and the British form is /ˈdrɪəri/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.