Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

wed

/ˈwɛd/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.66 in modern English

Syllables
wed
IPA
/ˈwɛd/
7
Scrabble Score
3
Letters
1
Syllables
3
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To perform the marriage ceremony for; to join in matrimony.

Transitive verb

verb

To take as one's spouse.

Transitive verb

verb

To take a spouse.

Intransitive verb

verb

To take each other as a spouse.

verb

To join or commit to, more or less permanently, as if in marriage.

Transitive verb

verb

To take to oneself and support; to espouse.

Intransitive verb

verb

To wager, stake, bet, place a bet, make a wager.

noun

Alternative spelling of Wed..

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Middle English wedden, weddien, from Old English weddian (“to pledge; wed”), from Proto-West Germanic *waddjōn, from Proto-Germanic *wadjōną (“to pledge”), from *wadją (“pledge”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wedʰ- (“to pledge”). Cognate with Scots wed, wod, wad (“to wed”), Saterland Frisian wädje (“to bet, wager”), West Frisian wedzje (“to bet, wager”), Low German and Dutch wedden (“to bet”), German wetten (“to bet”), Danish vædde (“to bet”), Swedish vädja (“to appeal”), Icelandic veðja (“to bet”); more distantly, to Sanskrit वधू (vadhū́, “bride”). Related also to gage, engage, and wage.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: *wedʰ-, wedden, weddian, *waddjōn, *wadjōną

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Phrases

Synonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce wed?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈwɛd/.
What does wed mean?
To perform the marriage ceremony for; to join in matrimony.
Where does wed come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce wed

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