How to pronounce plead
Say it like PLEED. Plead 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 plead. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- PLEED
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Plead pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- PLEEDSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of plead
American and British speakers say plead in essentially the same way: /plid/ in the US and /pliːd/ in the UK.
British respelling: PLEED.
What does plead mean?
- appeal or request earnestly“I pleaded with him to stop”
- offer as an excuse or plea“She was pleading insanity”
- enter a plea, as in courts of law“She pleaded not guilty”
Where does plead come from?
From Middle English pleden, plaiden, from Old French plaider (“to plead, offer a plea”), from plait, from Medieval Latin placitum (“a decree, sentence, suit, plea, etc.", in Classical Latin, "an opinion, determination, prescription, order;
Words that rhyme with plead
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of plead.
Questions about saying plead
How do you pronounce plead?
Say PLEED. The American pronunciation is /plid/. In British English it is /pliːd/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in plead?
Plead is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: PLEED.
Do Americans and Brits say plead the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /plid/ and the British form is /pliːd/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.