How to pronounce glean
Say it like GLEEN. Glean 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 glean. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- GLEEN
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Glean pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- GLEENSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of glean
American and British speakers say glean in essentially the same way: /ɡlin/ in the US and /ɡliːn/ in the UK.
British respelling: GLEEN.
What does glean mean?
- To collect (fruit, grain, or other produce) from a field, an orchard, etc., after the main gathering or harvest.
- To gather (something, now chiefly something intangible such as experience or information) in small amounts over a period of time, often with some difficulty; to scrape together.
- To take away (someone's) possessions; to strip (someone) bare.
Where does glean come from?
Cognate with Medieval Latin glana, glena (“bundle of ears of grain”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with glean
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of glean.
Questions about saying glean
How do you pronounce glean?
Say GLEEN. The American pronunciation is /ɡlin/. In British English it is /ɡliːn/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in glean?
Glean is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: GLEEN.
Do Americans and Brits say glean the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ɡlin/ and the British form is /ɡliːn/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.