Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

had better

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: 5.66 in modern English

Syllables
had -bet-ter
IPA
15
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

Should; ought to; need to; must.

Informal

Example Sentences

Etymology

See better (adverb)

Usage

Inflected Forms

'd better (alternative) better (alternative)

Synonyms

had best

Questions

What does had better mean?
Should; ought to; need to; must.
Where does had better come from?
See better (adverb)

How to pronounce had better

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “had better”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “had better”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “had better” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.