Pronunciation

How to pronounce “ran

“ran” is pronounced /ɹæn/ (RAN) in American English and /ɹan/ in British English — one syllable.
The sound

Say “ran” in one beat

Say it like this

ran

/ɹæn/

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

1 beat
  1. ranɹæn
IPA (American)
/ɹæn/
IPA (British)
/ɹan/
Respelling
RAN
Syllables
1 — ran
Stress
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /ɹæn/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Part of speech
verb
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ɹæn/

British

/ɹan/

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

Meaning

What “ran” means

  1. verb

    move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time

    Don't run--you'll be out of breath

  2. verb

    flee; take to one's heels; cut and run

    If you see this man, run!

  3. verb

    stretch out over a distance, space, time, or scope; run or extend between two points or beyond a certain point

    Service runs all the way to Cranbury

Say it in a sentence

She ran along the river path every morning before work.
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

ran”, answered

How do you pronounce “ran”?

“ran” is pronounced /ɹæn/ (RAN) in American English and /ɹan/ in British English — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /ɹæn/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.

How many syllables does “ran” have?

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

Is “ran” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ɹæn/ (RAN); British English says /ɹan/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “ran” mean?

As a verb: move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time For example: “Don't run--you'll be out of breath” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “ran”?

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

Practise this word

Now say “ran” 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.