Blood (n.) refers to the red fluid circulating in humans and many animals, carrying nutrients, oxygen, and immune cells. It also denotes a family connection or lineage, as in “blood relation.” In medical contexts it is a vital substance subject to tests and transfusions. The term encompasses both biological and metaphorical senses in everyday language.
"The nurse drew a sample of blood for testing."
"Her blood pressure spiked during the stressful announcement."
"In many cultures, blood is central to rituals and symbolism."
"He swore he would protect his blood—his family—at all costs."
Blood comes from the Old English bleod, which traces to Proto-Germanic *blōþ-. The term is cognate with Dutch bloed and German Blut, reflecting a shared Germanic root. The word originally signified the red, vital fluid believed to flow through the veins and arteries, distinguishing it from other bodily substances. Over time, blood developed specialized medical meanings, especially in anatomy and physiology as scientific understanding emerged during the Renaissance and later. In medieval and early modern usage, blood also took on metaphorical senses—bloodline, kinship, and “blood” as a primitive, elemental force—reflected in phrases like “blood is thicker than water.” The semantic broadening continued with transfusion science in the 17th–19th centuries, cementing blood as both a literal medical substance and a symbol of life, lineage, and vitality in diverse cultures and languages.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Blood" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Blood" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Blood"
-oud sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounce it as /blʌd/. The initial consonant cluster is a bilabial plosive /b/ followed by the lax vowel /ʌ/ as in 'strut', then the voiced alveolar stop /d/. Keep the vowel short and the final /d/ light with minimal air release. Think: “bl-ud” with a quick, clean coda. If you’re listening to audio, you’ll hear a compact, one-syllable word with a strong but brief onset and a crisp end. Audio reference: try listening to the word pronounced in native speech on Pronounce or Forvo.
Common errors include pronouncing it as /blɔːd/ with a long vowel, or turning the /d/ into a soft /t/ in rapid speech. Some speakers also insert an epenthetic vowel after /l/—‘bluh-d’ or ‘bluh-uhd.’ To correct: keep the /ʌ/ as a short, relaxed vowel and finish with a clear, unaspirated /d/, not a vowel-led ending. Practice by isolating the /bl/ onset and balancing mouth tension so the vowel stays short and steady.
In US/UK/AU, the word is rhotic in US and AU but not typically in some UK dialects, though /r/ is not present in this word itself. The key differences lie in vowel quality: US/AU commonly use /ʌ/ with a shorter, flatter vowel, while some UK accents may have a more centralized or clipped /ʌ/; rhoticity affects surrounding vowels in connected speech. Stress remains on the single syllable. Listen for subtle vowel shifts in neighboring words that influence perceived quality, especially in fast speech.
The challenge is maintaining a short, lax /ʌ/ in a closed syllable with immediate /d/. Many learners elongate the vowel or mispronounce as /ɔː/ or /ə/ due to interference from nearby sounds. Also, the /ld/ cluster can create a subtle link or assimilation in rapid speech; the tongue should quickly close at the alveolar ridge for /d/. Focus on a brief, crisp onset and a clean stop closure to avoid a wobbly final sound.
Blood is a one-syllable word with primary stress on the sole syllable; there are no silent letters. The /l/ is fully pronounced as a light L before the /d/, and the /b/ at the start is a clear bilabial stop. The challenge instead lies in keeping the /ʌ/ vowel short and not lengthening it before /d/. There is no silent letter here, but be mindful of coarticulation effects in connected speech that may subtly dull or blur the vowel.
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