How to pronounce grade
Say it like GRAYD. Grade 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 grade. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- GRAYD
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Grade pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- GRAYDSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of grade
American and British speakers say grade in essentially the same way: /ɡreɪd/ in the US and /ɡreɪd/ in the UK.
British respelling: GRAYD.
What does grade mean?
- a body of students who are taught together“early morning classes are always sleepy”
- a relative position or degree of value in a graded group“lumber of the highest grade”
- the gradient of a slope or road or other surface“the road had a steep grade”
- assign a rank or rating to“how would you rank these students?”“The restaurant is rated highly in the food guide”
- level to the right gradient
- assign a grade or rank to, according to one's evaluation“grade tests”“score the SAT essays”
Where does grade come from?
Cognate with Gothic 𐌲𐍂𐌹𐌸𐍃 (griþs, “step, grade”), Bavarian Gritt (“step, stride”), Lithuanian gri̇̀diju (“to go, wander”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with grade
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of grade.
Questions about saying grade
How do you pronounce grade?
Say GRAYD. The American pronunciation is /ɡreɪd/. In British English it is /ɡreɪd/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in grade?
Grade is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: GRAYD.
Do Americans and Brits say grade the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ɡreɪd/ and the British form is /ɡreɪd/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.