How To Pronounce Lead
lead
stress changesVerb (guide)
UK
Phonemic
/liːd/
Phonetic
[liːd̚]
US
Phonemic
/liːd/
Noun (metal)
UK
Phonemic
/led/
Phonetic
[led̚]
US
Phonemic
/led/
Lead has more than one pronunciation, depending on how it is used.
Verb (guide). It is /liːd/ in British English and /liːd/ in American English.
Noun (metal). It is /led/ in British English and /led/ in American English.
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 (Verb (guide))
liːd
Lead has one syllable in British English.
lead + -s
-s (plural, possessive or singular verb) is /z/ after a voiced consonant or a vowel sound.
UK
/liːdz/
US
/liːdz/
lead + -ed
-ed (past tense or past participle) is /ɪd/ after /t/ or /d/.
UK
/ˈliː.dɪd/
US
/ˈliː.dɪd/
lead + -ing
-ing is always /ɪŋ/.
UK
/ˈliː.dɪŋ/
US
/ˈliː.dɪŋ/
Syllables And Stress (Noun (metal))
led
Lead has one syllable in British English.
metal + -s
-s (plural, possessive or singular verb) is /z/ after a voiced consonant or a vowel sound.
UK
/ledz/
US
/ledz/
Words That Rhyme With Lead
Questions About Lead
How do you pronounce lead in British English?
Verb (guide), /liːd/. Noun (metal), /led/.
How do you pronounce lead in American English?
Verb (guide), /liːd/. Noun (metal), /led/.
More Words Where The Stress Changes
Nearby Words
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