How to pronounce married
Say it like MER-eed. Married has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (MER).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce married. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- MER
- eed
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Married pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- MERSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- eedKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of married
American and British speakers say married in essentially the same way: /ˈmɛrid/ in the US and /ˈmærid/ in the UK.
British respelling: MAR-eed.
What does married mean?
- joined in matrimony“a married man”“a married couple”
- of or relating to the state of marriage“marital status”“marital fidelity”
- a person who is married“we invited several young marrieds”
Where does married come from?
From Middle English maried, imaried, mariet, past participle of Middle English marien (“to marry”), equivalent to marry + -ed.
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with married
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of married.
Questions about saying married
How do you pronounce married?
Say MER-eed. The American pronunciation is /ˈmɛrid/. In British English it is /ˈmærid/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in married?
Married has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (MER). Broken into parts: MER · eed.
Do Americans and Brits say married the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈmɛrid/ and the British form is /ˈmærid/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.