HOW TO PRONOUNCE
afraid
/əˈfɹeɪd/
Press play to hear how to pronounce afraid.
American Pronunciation Guide · 0:39
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Make the second syllable stronger.
Start with schwa, then keep f-r together before the stressed ay vowel. The opening light vowel is a syllable, but no extra vowel belongs between f and r.
2 syllables · Stress on syllable 2
TRY SAYING
“The child was afraid of the thunder.”
APG practice sentence · CC BY-SA 4.0
CMU Pronouncing Dictionary ↗What does afraid mean?
adjective
- Impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear.
- Regretful, sorry; expressing a reluctance to face an unpleasant situation.
- Worried about, feeling concern for, fearing for (someone or something).
Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0
IPA pronunciation
/əˈfɹeɪd/
Pronunciation used in the listening tip.
CMU Pronouncing Dictionary ↗Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.
In the pages of books
See this word in context.
And there, amazed and afraid, even as I stood amazed and afraid, were my cousin and my wife—my wife white and tearless.
“What’s the matter with you, Fred? I’m afraid of you when you’re quiet,—fortunately you almost never are. What are you thinking about?”
More book examples (3)
But at mention of Chauvelin’s name she started in quick alarm, afraid for the dear life she would have died to save.
Even after I got so I could steer pretty fairly I was so afraid of those stones that I always hit them.
Furthermore, he was much afraid that some arrow of scorn might lay him mentally low before he could raise his protecting tale.