How to pronounce rent
Say it like RENT. Rent 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 rent. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- RENT
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Rent pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- RENTSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
American vs British pronunciation of rent
American and British speakers say rent in essentially the same way: /rɛnt/ in the US and /rɛnt/ in the UK.
British respelling: RENT.
What does rent mean?
- let for money“We rented our apartment to friends while we were abroad”
- grant use or occupation of under a term of contract“I am leasing my country estate to some foreigners”
- engage for service under a term of contract“We took an apartment on a quiet street”“Let's rent a car”
- a payment or series of payments made by the lessee to an owner for use of some property, facility, equipment, or service
- an opening made forcibly as by pulling apart“there was a rip in his pants”“she had snags in her stockings”
- the return derived from cultivated land in excess of that derived from the poorest land cultivated under similar conditions
Where does rent come from?
From Middle English rent, rente, from Old French rente, from Early Medieval Latin rendita, from Late Latin rendere, from Latin reddere.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with rent
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of rent.
Questions about saying rent
How do you pronounce rent?
Say RENT. The American pronunciation is /rɛnt/. In British English it is /rɛnt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in rent?
Rent is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: RENT.
Do Americans and Brits say rent the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /rɛnt/ and the British form is /rɛnt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.