How to pronounce would
Say it like WUUD. Would is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
- WUUD
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Would pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- WUUDSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "oo" in book.
American vs British pronunciation of would
American and British speakers say would in essentially the same way: /wʊd/ in the US and /wʊd/ in the UK.
British respelling: WUUD.
What does would mean?
- Used to form the "anterior future", or "future in the past", indicating a futurity relative to a past time.“On my first day at University, I met the woman who would become my wife.”
- Used to, did repeatedly, habitually; indicates an action that happened several times in the past (cannot describe continuous states, as in I used to live in London)
- Was or were determined to; indicating someone's insistence upon doing something.
- Something that would happen, or would be the case, under different circumstances; a potentiality.
Where does would come from?
The loss of /l/ in this word is probably due to weak stress, as in should and could (though in the latter, the /l/ was due to the analogy of the former two).
Words that rhyme with would
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of would.
Words that sound like would
Questions about saying would
How do you pronounce would?
Say WUUD. The American pronunciation is /wʊd/. In British English it is /wʊd/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in would?
Would is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: WUUD.
Do Americans and Brits say would the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /wʊd/ and the British form is /wʊd/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as would?
Would sounds the same as wood in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.