How to pronounce spray
Say it like SPRAY. Spray 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 spray. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SPRAY
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Spray pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SPRAYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of spray
American and British speakers say spray in essentially the same way: /spreɪ/ in the US and /spreɪ/ in the UK.
British respelling: SPRAY.
What does spray mean?
- a pesticide in suspension or solution; intended for spraying
- a quantity of small objects flying through the air“a spray of bullets”
- flower arrangement consisting of a single branch or shoot bearing flowers and foliage
- be discharged in sprays of liquid“Water sprayed all over the floor”
- scatter in a mass or jet of droplets“spray water on someone”“spray paint on the wall”
- cover by spraying with a liquid“spray the wall with paint”
Where does spray come from?
Cognate with Middle High German spræjen, spræwen (“to squirt, spray, dust, splash, straw”), Danish dialectal språe (“to open up, burst forth”), Swedish dialectal språ (“to sprout, shoot forth, burst”), Norwegian dialectal spra, spræ (“to sp
Words that rhyme with spray
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of spray.
Questions about saying spray
How do you pronounce spray?
Say SPRAY. The American pronunciation is /spreɪ/. In British English it is /spreɪ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in spray?
Spray is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SPRAY.
Do Americans and Brits say spray the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /spreɪ/ and the British form is /spreɪ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.