How to pronounce swain
Say it like SWAYN. Swain 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 swain. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SWAYN
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Swain pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SWAYNSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of swain
American and British speakers say swain in essentially the same way: /sweɪn/ in the US and /sweɪn/ in the UK.
British respelling: SWAYN.
What does swain mean?
- A rural lover; a male sweetheart in a pastoral setting.
Where does swain come from?
Cognate with Danish svend (“hireling, young man”), Norwegian svein (“lad, young man, servant”) Icelandic sveinn (“boy, lad, servant”), Swedish sven (“swain, servant”), Low German Sween, dialectal German Schwein, Old English swān (“swineherd, lad”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with swain
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of swain.
Questions about saying swain
How do you pronounce swain?
Say SWAYN. The American pronunciation is /sweɪn/. In British English it is /sweɪn/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in swain?
Swain is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SWAYN.
Do Americans and Brits say swain the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /sweɪn/ and the British form is /sweɪn/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.