How to pronounce plywood
Say it like PLY-wuud. Plywood has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (PLY).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce plywood. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- PLY
- wuud
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Plywood pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- PLYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in time.
- wuudGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "oo" in book.
American vs British pronunciation of plywood
American and British speakers say plywood in essentially the same way: /ˈplaɪˌwʊd/ in the US and /ˈplaɪwʊd/ in the UK.
British respelling: PLY-wud.
What does plywood mean?
- Construction material supplied in sheets, and made of three or more layers of wood veneer glued together, laid up with alternating layers having their grain perpendicular to each other.“After the hurricane there was a severe regional shortage of plywood, especially exterior plywood.”
- A specific grade or type of this construction material.“We stock exterior plywoods, interior plywoods, and furniture plywoods.”
- To fit or block up with plywood.
Where does plywood come from?
From ply (“sheet”) + wood.
Questions about saying plywood
How do you pronounce plywood?
Say PLY-wuud. The American pronunciation is /ˈplaɪˌwʊd/. In British English it is /ˈplaɪwʊd/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in plywood?
Plywood has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (PLY). Broken into parts: PLY · wuud.
Do Americans and Brits say plywood the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈplaɪˌwʊd/ and the British form is /ˈplaɪwʊd/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.