How to pronounce headless
Say it like HED-lus. Headless has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (HED).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce headless. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- HED
- lus
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Headless pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- HEDSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- lusKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of headless
American and British speakers say headless in essentially the same way: /ˈhɛdləs/ in the US and /ˈhɛdləs/ in the UK.
British respelling: HED-lus.
What does headless mean?
- Synonym of decapitated.“How did the headless horseman see to chase Ichabod?”
- Naturally having and needing no head.“headless invertebrates”
- Without a head (hardware or device feature).“a headless nail; a headless set screw”
Where does headless come from?
From Middle English heedles, hevedles, from Old English hēafodlēas (“headless”), equivalent to head + -less.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Questions about saying headless
How do you pronounce headless?
Say HED-lus. The American pronunciation is /ˈhɛdləs/. In British English it is /ˈhɛdləs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in headless?
Headless has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (HED). Broken into parts: HED · lus.
Do Americans and Brits say headless the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈhɛdləs/ and the British form is /ˈhɛdləs/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.