How to pronounce lean
Say it like LEEN. Lean 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 lean. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- LEEN
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Lean pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- LEENSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of lean
American and British speakers say lean in essentially the same way: /lin/ in the US and /liːn/ in the UK.
British respelling: LEEN.
What does lean mean?
- to incline or bend from a vertical position“She leaned over the banister”
- cause to lean or incline“He leaned his rifle against the wall”
- have a tendency or disposition to do or be something; be inclined“She tends to be nervous before her lectures”“These dresses run small”
- lacking excess flesh“you can't be too rich or too thin”“Yon Cassius has a lean and hungry look”
- lacking in mineral content or combustible material“lean ore”“lean fuel”
- containing little excess“a lean budget”“a skimpy allowance”
- the property possessed by a line or surface that departs from the vertical“the tower had a pronounced tilt”“the ship developed a list to starboard”
Where does lean come from?
Cognate via Proto-Germanic with Middle Dutch leunen (“to lean”), German lehnen (“to lean”); via Proto-Indo-European with climate, cline.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with lean
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of lean.
Words that sound like lean
Questions about saying lean
How do you pronounce lean?
Say LEEN. The American pronunciation is /lin/. In British English it is /liːn/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in lean?
Lean is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: LEEN.
Do Americans and Brits say lean the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /lin/ and the British form is /liːn/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as lean?
Lean sounds the same as lien in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.