How to pronounce gray
Say it like GRAY. Gray 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 gray. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- GRAY
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Gray pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- GRAYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of gray
American and British speakers say gray in essentially the same way: /ɡreɪ/ in the US and /ɡreɪ/ in the UK.
British respelling: GRAY.
What does gray mean?
- a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black
- clothing that is a grey color“he was dressed in grey”
- any organization or party whose uniforms or badges are grey“the Confederate army was a vast grey”
- of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black“the little grey cells”“gray flannel suit”
- showing characteristics of age, especially having grey or white hair“whose beard with age is hoar”“nodded his hoary head”
- used to signify the Confederate forces in the American Civil War (who wore grey uniforms)“a stalwart grey figure”
- make grey“The painter decided to grey the sky”
- turn grey“Her hair began to grey”
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with gray
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of gray.
Words that sound like gray
Questions about saying gray
How do you pronounce gray?
Say GRAY. The American pronunciation is /ɡreɪ/. In British English it is /ɡreɪ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in gray?
Gray is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: GRAY.
Do Americans and Brits say gray the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ɡreɪ/ and the British form is /ɡreɪ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as gray?
Gray sounds the same as grey in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.