How To Pronounce Lay
lay
UK
Phonemic
/leɪ/
Phonetic
[leɪ]
US
Phonemic
/leɪ/
In British English, lay is pronounced /leɪ/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [leɪ]. In American English, it is pronounced /leɪ/.
Lay has one syllable. British and American speakers say it the same way.
Slashes / / show the phonemic transcription, the sounds that change meaning. Square brackets [ ] show the phonetic transcription, with the finer detail of how the sounds are actually made.
Syllables, Stress And Endings
Syllables And Stress
leɪ
Lay has one syllable in British English.
lay + -s
-s (plural, possessive or singular verb) is /z/ after a voiced consonant or a vowel sound.
UK
/leɪz/
US
/leɪz/
lay + -ing
-ing is always /ɪŋ/.
UK
/ˈleɪ.ɪŋ/
US
/ˈleɪ.ɪŋ/
Words That Rhyme With Lay
Questions About Lay
How do you pronounce lay in British English?
In British English, lay is pronounced /leɪ/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [leɪ].
How do you pronounce lay in American English?
In American English, lay is pronounced /leɪ/.
Do British and American English pronounce lay the same way?
Yes. Both are /leɪ/.
Nearby Words
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