Pronunciation

How to pronounce “glad

“glad” is pronounced /ɡlæd/ (GLAD) in American English and /ɡlad/ in British English — one syllable.
The sound

Say “glad” in one beat

Say it like this

glad

/ɡlæd/

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

1 beat
  1. gladɡlæd
IPA (American)
/ɡlæd/
IPA (British)
/ɡlad/
Respelling
GLAD
Syllables
1 — glad
Stress
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /ɡlæd/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Part of speech
noun, adjective
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ɡlæd/

British

/ɡlad/

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

Meaning

What “glad” means

  1. noun

    any of numerous plants of the genus Gladiolus native chiefly to tropical and South Africa having sword-shaped leaves and one-sided spikes of brightly colored funnel-shaped flowers; widely cultivated

  2. adjective

    showing or causing joy and pleasure; especially made happy

    glad you are here

  3. adjective

    eagerly disposed to act or to be of service

    glad to help

Say it in a sentence

She was glad the storm finally passed before the wedding.
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

glad”, answered

How do you pronounce “glad”?

“glad” is pronounced /ɡlæd/ (GLAD) in American English and /ɡlad/ in British English — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /ɡlæd/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.

How many syllables does “glad” have?

One, despite the 1 vowel letters in the spelling. The whole word is /ɡlæd/ — a single beat.

Is “glad” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ɡlæd/ (GLAD); British English says /ɡlad/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “glad” mean?

As a noun: any of numerous plants of the genus Gladiolus native chiefly to tropical and South Africa having sword-shaped leaves and one-sided spikes of brightly colored funnel-shaped flowers; widely cultivated For example: “She was glad the storm finally passed before the wedding.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “glad”?

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

Practise this word

Now say “glad” and see every sound

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