How to pronounce gain
Say it like GAYN. Gain 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 gain. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- GAYN
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Gain pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- GAYNSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of gain
American and British speakers say gain in essentially the same way: /ɡeɪn/ in the US and /ɡeɪn/ in the UK.
British respelling: GAYN.
What does gain mean?
- obtain“derive pleasure from one's garden”
- win something through one's efforts“I acquired a passing knowledge of Chinese”“Gain an understanding of international finance”
- derive a benefit from“She profited from his vast experience”
- a quantity that is added“there was an addition to property taxes this year”“they recorded the cattle's gain in weight over a period of weeks”
- the advantageous quality of being beneficial
- the amount of increase in signal power or voltage or current expressed as the ratio of output to input
Where does gain come from?
The Middle English word was reinforced by Middle French gain (“gain, profit, advancement, cultivation”), from Old French gaaing, gaaigne, gaigne, a noun derivative of gaaignier, gaigner (“to till, earn, win”), from Frankish *waiþanōn (“to p
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with gain
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of gain.
Questions about saying gain
How do you pronounce gain?
Say GAYN. The American pronunciation is /ɡeɪn/. In British English it is /ɡeɪn/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in gain?
Gain is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: GAYN.
Do Americans and Brits say gain the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ɡeɪn/ and the British form is /ɡeɪn/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.