Pronunciation

How to pronounce “odd

“odd” is pronounced /ɑd/ (AHD) in American English and /ɒd/ in British English — one syllable.
The sound

Say “odd” in one beat

Say it like this

odd

/ɑd/

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

1 beat
  1. oddɑd
IPA (American)
/ɑd/
IPA (British)
/ɒd/
Respelling
AHD
Syllables
1 — odd
Stress
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /ɑd/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Part of speech
adjective
Difficulty
Pro — the sounds are ordinary, the rhythm is where it slips
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ɑd/

British

/ɒd/

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

Meaning

What “odd” means

  1. adjective

    not divisible by two

  2. adjective

    not easily explained

    it is odd that his name is never mentioned

  3. adjective

    an indefinite quantity more than that specified

    invited 30-odd guests

Say it in a sentence

Seven is an odd number, so somebody sits alone.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

2 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

odd”, answered

How do you pronounce “odd”?

“odd” is pronounced /ɑd/ (AHD) in American English and /ɒd/ in British English — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /ɑd/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.

How many syllables does “odd” have?

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

Is “odd” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ɑd/ (AHD); British English says /ɒd/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “odd” mean?

As an adjective: not divisible by two For example: “Seven is an odd number, so somebody sits alone.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “odd”?

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

Practise this word

Now say “odd” 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.