How to pronounce threat
Say it like THRET. Threat 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 threat. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- THRET
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Threat pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- THRETSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
American vs British pronunciation of threat
American and British speakers say threat in essentially the same way: /θrɛt/ in the US and /θrɛt/ in the UK.
British respelling: THRET.
What does threat mean?
- something that is a source of danger“earthquakes are a constant threat in Japan”
- a warning that something unpleasant is imminent“they were under threat of arrest”
- declaration of an intention or a determination to inflict harm on another“his threat to kill me was quite explicit”
Where does threat come from?
From Middle English threte, thret, thrat, thræt, threat, from Old English þrēat (“crowd, swarm, troop, army, press; pressure, trouble, calamity, oppression, force, violence, threat”), from Proto-Germanic *þrautaz, closely tied to Proto-Germ
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with threat
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of threat.
Questions about saying threat
How do you pronounce threat?
Say THRET. The American pronunciation is /θrɛt/. In British English it is /θrɛt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in threat?
Threat is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: THRET.
Do Americans and Brits say threat the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /θrɛt/ and the British form is /θrɛt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.