Pronunciation

How to pronounce “friends

“friends” is pronounced /fɹɛndz/ (FRENDZ), and /fɹɛnz/ is also accepted — one syllable.
The sound

Say “friends” in one beat

Say it like this

friends

/fɹɛndz/

The voice you hear here is American; a British voice is available in the app's settings.

1 beat
  1. friendsfɹɛndz
IPA (American)
/fɹɛndz/
IPA (British)
/fɹɛndz/
Also accepted
/fɹɛnz/
Respelling
FRENDZ
Syllables
1 — friends
Stress
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /fɹɛndz/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Part of speech
noun
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Meaning

What “friends” means

  1. noun

    a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

    he was my best friend at the university

  2. noun

    an associate who provides cooperation or assistance

    he's a good ally in fight

  3. noun

    a person with whom you are acquainted

    I have trouble remembering the names of all my acquaintances

Say it in a sentence

She invited a few close friends over for dinner.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

6 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

friends”, answered

How do you pronounce “friends”?

“friends” is pronounced /fɹɛndz/ (FRENDZ), and /fɹɛnz/ is also accepted — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /fɹɛndz/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.

How many syllables does “friends” have?

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

Is “friends” /fɹɛndz/ or /fɹɛnz/?

Both. /fɹɛndz/ is the form dictionaries list first (FRENDZ).

What does “friends” mean?

As a noun: a person you know well and regard with affection and trust For example: “he was my best friend at the university” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “friends”?

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

Practise this word

Now say “friends” 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.