Pronunciation

How to pronounce “dream

“dream” is pronounced /dɹim/ (DREEM) in American English and /dɹiːm/ in British English — one syllable.
The sound

Say “dream” in one beat

Say it like this

dream

/dɹim/

The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /dɹiːm/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.

1 beat
  1. dreamdɹim
IPA (American)
/dɹim/
IPA (British)
/dɹiːm/
Respelling
DREEM
Syllables
1 — dream
Stress
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /dɹim/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Part of speech
noun, verb
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/dɹim/

British

/dɹiːm/

No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.

Meaning

What “dream” means

  1. noun

    a series of mental images and emotions occurring during sleep

    I had a dream about you last night

  2. noun

    imaginative thoughts indulged in while awake

    he lives in a dream that has nothing to do with reality

  3. noun

    a cherished desire

    his ambition is to own his own business

Say it in a sentence

She finally achieved her dream of opening a bakery.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

4 sounds, in the order you say them

Each sound has its own page: where the tongue goes, what it is usually confused with, and words to drill it on.

Questions

dream”, answered

How do you pronounce “dream”?

“dream” is pronounced /dɹim/ (DREEM) in American English and /dɹiːm/ in British English — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /dɹim/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.

How many syllables does “dream” have?

One, despite the 2 vowel letters in the spelling. The whole word is /dɹim/ — a single beat.

Is “dream” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /dɹim/ (DREEM); British English says /dɹiːm/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “dream” mean?

As a noun: a series of mental images and emotions occurring during sleep For example: “I had a dream about you last night” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “dream”?

One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /dɹim/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.

Practise this word

Now say “dream” and see every sound

Record it once and sayit lines your audio up against the target sound by sound — what landed, what slipped, and what it sounded like instead.