How to pronounce gay
Say it like GAY. Gay 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 gay. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- GAY
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Gay pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- GAYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of gay
American and British speakers say gay in essentially the same way: /ɡeɪ/ in the US and /ɡeɪ/ in the UK.
British respelling: GAY.
What does gay mean?
- bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer“a cheery hello”“a gay sunny room”
- full of or showing high-spirited merriment“when hearts were young and gay”“a poet could not but be gay, in such a jocund company”
- given to social pleasures often including dissipation“led a gay Bohemian life”“a gay old rogue with an eye for the ladies”
- someone who is sexually attracted to persons of the same sex
Where does gay come from?
The sense of ‘upright’, used in reference to a dog’s tail, probably derives from the ‘happy’ sense of the word.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with gay
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of gay.
Questions about saying gay
How do you pronounce gay?
Say GAY. The American pronunciation is /ɡeɪ/. In British English it is /ɡeɪ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in gay?
Gay is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: GAY.
Do Americans and Brits say gay the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ɡeɪ/ and the British form is /ɡeɪ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.