How to pronounce wad
Say it like WAHD. Wad 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 wad. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- WAHD
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Wad pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- WAHDSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ah" in father.
American vs British pronunciation of wad
- The short o is rounded in British English (as in "hot"), but open and unrounded in American English.
British respelling: WOD.
What does wad mean?
- To crumple or crush into a compact, amorphous shape or ball.“She wadded up the scrap of paper and threw it in the trash.”
- To wager.
- To insert or force a wad into.“to wad a gun”
- An amorphous, compact mass.“Our cat loves to play with a small wad of paper.”
- A substantial pile (normally of money).“With a wad of cash like that, she should not have been walking round Manhattan.”
- A soft plug or seal, particularly as used between the powder and pellets in a shotgun cartridge, or earlier on the charge of a muzzleloader or cannon.
- Any black manganese oxide or hydroxide mineral rich rock in the oxidized zone of various ore deposits.
Where does wad come from?
Cognate with Swedish vadd (“wadding, cotton wool”), German Wat, Watte (“wad, padding, cotton wool”), Dutch lijnwaad, gewaad, watten (“cotton wool”), West Frisian waad, Old English wǣd (“garment, clothing”) (English: weed).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with wad
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of wad.
Questions about saying wad
How do you pronounce wad?
Say WAHD. The American pronunciation is /wɑd/. In British English it is /wɒd/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in wad?
Wad is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: WAHD.
Is wad pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. The short o is rounded in British English (as in "hot"), but open and unrounded in American English. The British form is /wɒd/ (WOD).