How to pronounce lay
Say it like LAY. Lay 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 lay. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- LAY
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Lay pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- LAYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of lay
American and British speakers say lay in essentially the same way: /leɪ/ in the US and /leɪ/ in the UK.
British respelling: LAY.
What does lay mean?
- put into a certain place or abstract location“Put your things here”“Set the tray down”
- put in a horizontal position“lay the books on the table”“lay the patient carefully onto the bed”
- prepare or position for action or operation“lay a fire”“lay the foundation for a new health care plan”
- characteristic of those who are not members of the clergy“set his collar in laic rather than clerical position”“the lay ministry”
- not of or from a profession“a lay opinion as to the cause of the disease”
- a narrative song with a recurrent refrain
- a narrative poem of popular origin
Where does lay come from?
Cognate with Saterland Frisian lääse (“to lay; to lie”), West Frisian lizze (“to lay, to lie”), Cimbrian leng (“to lay”), Dutch leggen (“to lay”), German legen (“to lay”), Limburgish lègke (“to lay”), Luxembourgish leeën (“to lay”), Yiddish
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with lay
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of lay.
Words that sound like lay
Questions about saying lay
How do you pronounce lay?
Say LAY. The American pronunciation is /leɪ/. In British English it is /leɪ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in lay?
Lay is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: LAY.
Do Americans and Brits say lay the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /leɪ/ and the British form is /leɪ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as lay?
Lay sounds the same as lei, ley in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.