How to pronounce late
Say it like LAYT. Late 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 late. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- LAYT
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Late pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- LAYTSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of late
American and British speakers say late in essentially the same way: /leɪt/ in the US and /leɪt/ in the UK.
British respelling: LAYT.
What does late mean?
- being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time“late evening”“late 18th century”
- after the expected or usual time; delayed“a belated birthday card”“I'm late for the plane”
- of the immediate past or just previous to the present time“a late development”“their late quarrel”
- later than usual or than expected“the train arrived late”“we awoke late”
- to an advanced time“deep into the night”“talked late into the evening”
- at an advanced age or stage“she married late”“undertook the project late in her career”
Where does late come from?
Cognate with Yola laate (“late”), North Frisian leed, leet, lääs (“late”), Saterland Frisian leet (“late”), Dutch, German Low German laat (“late, tardy”), German lass (“lazy, sluggish”), Danish lad (“languid, lazy, indolent”), Faroese, Icel
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with late
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of late.
Questions about saying late
How do you pronounce late?
Say LAYT. The American pronunciation is /leɪt/. In British English it is /leɪt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in late?
Late is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: LAYT.
Do Americans and Brits say late the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /leɪt/ and the British form is /leɪt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.