How to pronounce loath
Say it like LOHTH. Loath 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 loath. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- LOHTH
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Loath pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- LOHTHSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "o" in go.
American vs British pronunciation of loath
- The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh".
British respelling: LOHTH.
What does loath mean?
- Averse, disinclined; reluctant, unwilling. Always followed by a verbal phrase.“I was loath to return to the office without the Henderson file.”
Where does loath come from?
The word is cognate with Danish led (“disgusting, loathsome; nasty”), Dutch leed (“sad; (Belgium) angry”), French laid (“ugly; morally corrupt”), Catalan lleig (“ugly”), Icelandic leiður (“annoyed, vexed; sad; (archaic or poetic) annoying,
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with loath
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of loath.
Questions about saying loath
How do you pronounce loath?
Say LOHTH. The American pronunciation is /loʊθ/. In British English it is /ləʊθ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in loath?
Loath is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: LOHTH.
Is loath pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh". The British form is /ləʊθ/ (LOHTH).