Pronunciation

How to pronounce “led

“led” is pronounced /lɛd/ (LED) — one syllable.
The sound

Say “led” in one beat

Say it like this

led

/lɛd/

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

1 beat
  1. ledlɛd
IPA (American)
/lɛd/
IPA (British)
/lɛd/
Respelling
LED
Syllables
1 — led
Stress
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /lɛd/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Part of speech
verb, noun
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Watch out

Where “led” goes wrong

  • Often heard

    LEED

    the past tense of lead is said led, like the metal; only the present rhymes with need

Meaning

What “led” means

  1. verb

    past tense and past participle of lead: guided, or went in front of

    He led us through the back streets.

  2. noun

    an LED: a small electronic light used in screens, lamps and indicators

Say it in a sentence

She led the group up the hill without a map.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

3 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

led”, answered

How do you pronounce “led”?

“led” is pronounced /lɛd/ (LED) — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /lɛd/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.

How many syllables does “led” have?

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

What does “led” mean?

As a verb: past tense and past participle of lead: guided, or went in front of For example: “He led us through the back streets.” It carries 1 other sense as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “led”?

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

Practise this word

Now say “led” and see every sound

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