How to pronounce lead
Say it like LEED. Lead is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
- LEED
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Tip: To guide rhymes with need. The metal rhymes with bed.
Lead pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- LEEDSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of lead
American and British speakers say lead in essentially the same way: /lid/ in the US and /liːd/ in the UK.
British respelling: LEED.
Other ways to say lead
Lead also has this pronunciation, usually with a different meaning or use:
- LED /lɛd/
What does lead mean?
- A heavy, pliable, inelastic metal element, having a bright, bluish color, but easily tarnished; both malleable and ductile, though with little tenacity. It is easily fusible, forms alloys with other metals, and is an ingredient of solder and type metal. Atomic number 82.
- A plummet or mass of lead attached to a line, used in sounding depth at sea or to estimate velocity in knots.
- A thin strip of type metal, used to separate lines of type in printing.
- To cover, fill, or affect with lead.“continuous firing leads the grooves of a rifle.”
- To guide or conduct with the hand, or by means of some physical contact connection.“a father leads a child”
- To guide or conduct in a certain course, or to a certain place or end, by making the way known; to show the way, especially by going with or going in advance of; to guide somebody somewhere or to bring somebody somewhere by means of instructions.“The guide was able to lead the tourists through the jungle safely.”
- To direct; to counsel; to instruct.“A good teacher should lead their students to the right answer.”
Where does lead come from?
* (graphite in a pencil): Graphite was once believed to be a form of lead; see black lead and plumbago.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with lead
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of lead.
Words that sound like lead
Questions about saying lead
How do you pronounce lead?
Say LEED. The American pronunciation is /lid/. In British English it is /liːd/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in lead?
Lead is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: LEED.
Do Americans and Brits say lead the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /lid/ and the British form is /liːd/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as lead?
Lead sounds the same as leed in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.