How to pronounce lend
Say it like LEND. Lend 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 lend. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- LEND
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Lend pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- LENDSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
American vs British pronunciation of lend
American and British speakers say lend in essentially the same way: /lɛnd/ in the US and /lɛnd/ in the UK.
British respelling: LEND.
What does lend mean?
- bestow a quality on“Her presence lends a certain cachet to the company”“The music added a lot to the play”
- give temporarily; let have for a limited time“I will lend you my car”“loan me some money”
- have certain characteristics of qualities for something; be open or vulnerable to“This story would lend itself well to serialization on television”“The current system lends itself to great abuse”
Where does lend come from?
Cognate with Scots len, lend (“to lend”), West Frisian liene (“to lend, borrow, loan”), Dutch lenen (“to lend, borrow, loan”), Danish låne (“to lend, loan”), Swedish låna (“to lend, loan”), Icelandic lána (“to lend, loan”), Icelandic léna (
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with lend
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of lend.
Questions about saying lend
How do you pronounce lend?
Say LEND. The American pronunciation is /lɛnd/. In British English it is /lɛnd/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in lend?
Lend is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: LEND.
Do Americans and Brits say lend the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /lɛnd/ and the British form is /lɛnd/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.