American English pronunciation
How to pronounce bad
/bæd/bad1 syllable
“bad” hinges on a vowel that's easy to slip on. It's a single syllable, and the trick is in the sounds below — hear it, then say it back and let our AI model show you how close you landed.
Say it & get scored
Hear bad, then record yourself and our AI model will score your pronunciation, sound by sound.
The sounds to nail
- /æ/as in cat
Smile slightly, tongue low and front. Don't let it drift toward 'eh'.
Trickier for some first languages
The sounds in “bad” are common stumbling blocks for speakers of:
Common questions
- How many syllables are in “bad”?
- “Bad” has 1 syllable: bad.
- What is the IPA for “bad”?
- The American English IPA transcription of “bad” is bæd.
- How can I practice pronouncing “bad”?
- Press play to hear “bad” spoken by our AI model, then record yourself on this page to get an instant pronunciation score — your first try needs no account.
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