How to pronounce grain
Say it like GRAYN. Grain 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 grain. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- GRAYN
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Grain pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- GRAYNSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of grain
American and British speakers say grain in essentially the same way: /ɡreɪn/ in the US and /ɡreɪn/ in the UK.
British respelling: GRAYN.
What does grain mean?
- a relatively small granular particle of a substance“a grain of sand”“a grain of sugar”
- foodstuff prepared from the starchy grains of cereal grasses
- the side of leather from which the hair has been removed
- thoroughly work in“His hands were grained with dirt”
- paint (a surface) to make it look like stone or wood
- form into grains
Where does grain come from?
From Middle English grayn, grayn, grein, from Old French grain, grein, from Latin grānum (“seed”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵr̥h₂nóm (“grain”).
Words that rhyme with grain
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of grain.
Questions about saying grain
How do you pronounce grain?
Say GRAYN. The American pronunciation is /ɡreɪn/. In British English it is /ɡreɪn/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in grain?
Grain is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: GRAYN.
Do Americans and Brits say grain the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ɡreɪn/ and the British form is /ɡreɪn/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.