How to pronounce pain
Say it like PAYN. Pain 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 pain. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- PAYN
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Pain pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- PAYNSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of pain
American and British speakers say pain in essentially the same way: /peɪn/ in the US and /peɪn/ in the UK.
British respelling: PAYN.
What does pain mean?
- a symptom of some physical hurt or disorder“the patient developed severe pain and distension”
- emotional distress; a fundamental feeling that people try to avoid“the pain of loneliness”
- a somatic sensation of acute discomfort“as the intensity increased the sensation changed from tickle to pain”
- cause bodily suffering to and make sick or indisposed
- cause emotional anguish or make miserable“It pains me to see my children not being taught well in school”
Where does pain come from?
Doublet of peine. Compare Danish pine, Norwegian Bokmål pine, German Pein, Dutch pijn, Afrikaans pyn.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with pain
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of pain.
Words that sound like pain
Questions about saying pain
How do you pronounce pain?
Say PAYN. The American pronunciation is /peɪn/. In British English it is /peɪn/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in pain?
Pain is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: PAYN.
Do Americans and Brits say pain the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /peɪn/ and the British form is /peɪn/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as pain?
Pain sounds the same as pane in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.