How to pronounce thread
Say it like THRED. Thread 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 thread. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- THRED
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Thread pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- THREDSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
American vs British pronunciation of thread
American and British speakers say thread in essentially the same way: /θrɛd/ in the US and /θrɛd/ in the UK.
British respelling: THRED.
What does thread mean?
- to move or cause to move in a sinuous, spiral, or circular course“the river winds through the hills”“the path meanders through the vineyards”
- pass a thread through“thread a needle”
- remove facial hair by tying a fine string around it and pulling at the string“She had her eyebrows threaded”
- a fine cord of twisted fibers (of cotton or silk or wool or nylon etc.) used in sewing and weaving
- any long object resembling a thin line“a mere ribbon of land”“the lighted ribbon of traffic”
- the connections that link the various parts of an event or argument together“I couldn't follow his train of thought”“he lost the thread of his argument”
Where does thread come from?
Cognate with Yola dreade (“thread”), Saterland Frisian Träid (“thread, wire”), Cimbrian draat (“string, thread”), Dutch draad (“thread, wire”), German Draht (“thread, wire”), Luxembourgish Drot (“wire”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with thread
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of thread.
Questions about saying thread
How do you pronounce thread?
Say THRED. The American pronunciation is /θrɛd/. In British English it is /θrɛd/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in thread?
Thread is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: THRED.
Do Americans and Brits say thread the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /θrɛd/ and the British form is /θrɛd/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.