How to pronounce speed
Say it like SPEED. Speed 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 speed. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SPEED
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Speed pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SPEEDSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of speed
American and British speakers say speed in essentially the same way: /spid/ in the US and /spiːd/ in the UK.
British respelling: SPEED.
What does speed mean?
- move hurridly“He rushed down the hall to receive his guests”“The cars raced down the street”
- move faster“The car accelerated”
- move very fast“The runner zipped past us at breakneck speed”
- distance travelled per unit time
- a rate (usually rapid) at which something happens“the project advanced with gratifying speed”
- changing location rapidly
Where does speed come from?
Cognate with Scots spede, speid (“success, quickness, speed”), Dutch spoed (“haste; speed”), German Low German Spood (“haste; speed; eagerness; success”), German Sput (“progress, acceleration, haste”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with speed
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of speed.
Questions about saying speed
How do you pronounce speed?
Say SPEED. The American pronunciation is /spid/. In British English it is /spiːd/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in speed?
Speed is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SPEED.
Do Americans and Brits say speed the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /spid/ and the British form is /spiːd/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.