Pronunciation

How to pronounce “pain

“pain” is pronounced /peɪn/ (PAYN) — one syllable.
The sound

Say “pain” in one beat

Say it like this

pain

/peɪn/

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

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

What “pain” means

  1. noun

    a symptom of some physical hurt or disorder

    the patient developed severe pain and distension

  2. noun

    emotional distress; a fundamental feeling that people try to avoid

    the pain of loneliness

  3. noun

    a somatic sensation of acute discomfort

    as the intensity increased the sensation changed from tickle to pain

Say it in a sentence

She felt a sharp pain in her ankle after the fall.
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

pain”, answered

How do you pronounce “pain”?

“pain” is pronounced /peɪn/ (PAYN) — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /peɪn/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.

How many syllables does “pain” have?

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

What does “pain” mean?

As a noun: a symptom of some physical hurt or disorder For example: “the patient developed severe pain and distension” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “pain”?

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

Practise this word

Now say “pain” and see every sound

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