How to pronounce lea
Say it like LEE. Lea 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 lea. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- LEE
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Lea pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- LEESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of lea
American and British speakers say lea in essentially the same way: /li/ in the US and /liː/ in the UK.
British respelling: LEE.
What does lea mean?
- a unit of length of thread or yarn
- a field covered with grass or herbage and suitable for grazing by livestock
Where does lea come from?
Akin to Old Frisian lāch (“meadow”), Old Saxon lōh (“forest, grove”) (Middle Dutch loo (“forest, thicket”); Dutch -lo (“in placenames”)), Old High German lōh (“covered clearing, low bushes”), Old Norse ló (“clearing, meadow”).
Words that rhyme with lea
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of lea.
Words that sound like lea
Questions about saying lea
How do you pronounce lea?
Say LEE. The American pronunciation is /li/. In British English it is /liː/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in lea?
Lea is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: LEE.
Do Americans and Brits say lea the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /li/ and the British form is /liː/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as lea?
Lea sounds the same as lee, li in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.