How to pronounce drown
Say it like DROWN. Drown 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 drown. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- DROWN
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Drown pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- DROWNSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ow" in now.
American vs British pronunciation of drown
American and British speakers say drown in essentially the same way: /draʊn/ in the US and /draʊn/ in the UK.
British respelling: DROWN.
What does drown mean?
- cover completely or make imperceptible“I was drowned in work”“The noise drowned out her speech”
- get rid of as if by submerging“She drowned her trouble in alcohol”
- die from being submerged in water, getting water into the lungs, and asphyxiating“The child drowned in the lake”
Where does drown come from?
The OED suggests an unattested Old English form *drūnian.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with drown
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of drown.
Questions about saying drown
How do you pronounce drown?
Say DROWN. The American pronunciation is /draʊn/. In British English it is /draʊn/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in drown?
Drown is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: DROWN.
Do Americans and Brits say drown the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /draʊn/ and the British form is /draʊn/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.