How to pronounce drift
Say it like DRIFT. Drift is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
- DRIFT
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Drift pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- DRIFTSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of drift
American and British speakers say drift in essentially the same way: /drɪft/ in the US and /drɪft/ in the UK.
British respelling: DRIFT.
What does drift mean?
- Anything driven at random.
- A mass of matter which has been driven or forced onward together in a body, or thrown together in a heap, etc., especially by wind or water.“a drift of snow, of ice, of sand, of plants, etc.”
- The distance through which a current flows in a given time.
- To move slowly, especially pushed by currents of water, air, etc.“The boat drifted away from the shore.”
- To move haphazardly without any destination.“He drifted from town to town, never settling down.”
- To deviate gently from the intended direction of travel.“This car tends to drift left at high speeds.”
Where does drift come from?
From Middle English drift, dryft (“act of driving, drove, shower of rain or snow, impulse”), from Old English *drift (“drift”), from Proto-Germanic *driftiz (“drift”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰreybʰ- (“to drive, push”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with drift
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of drift.
Questions about saying drift
How do you pronounce drift?
Say DRIFT. The American pronunciation is /drɪft/. In British English it is /drɪft/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in drift?
Drift is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: DRIFT.
Do Americans and Brits say drift the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /drɪft/ and the British form is /drɪft/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.