How to pronounce fleet
Say it like FLEET. Fleet 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 fleet. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- FLEET
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Fleet pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- FLEETSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of fleet
American and British speakers say fleet in essentially the same way: /flit/ in the US and /fliːt/ in the UK.
British respelling: FLEET.
What does fleet mean?
- group of aircraft operating together under the same ownership
- group of motor vehicles operating together under the same ownership
- a group of steamships operating together under the same ownership
- moving very fast“fleet of foot”“the fleet scurrying of squirrels”
- move along rapidly and lightly; skim or dart“The hummingbird flitted among the branches”
- disappear gradually“The pain eventually passed off”
Where does fleet come from?
From Middle English flete, flet (“fleet”), from Old English flēot (“ship”), likely related to Proto-West Germanic *flotōn, from Proto-Germanic *flutōną (“to float”).
Words that rhyme with fleet
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of fleet.
Questions about saying fleet
How do you pronounce fleet?
Say FLEET. The American pronunciation is /flit/. In British English it is /fliːt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in fleet?
Fleet is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: FLEET.
Do Americans and Brits say fleet the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /flit/ and the British form is /fliːt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.