Braid (noun) refers to a plait of hair formed by interlacing three or more strands. It can also mean a narrow weave, such as in cord or decorative trim. In fashion or crafts contexts, it denotes a woven or plaited strand used ornamentally or functionally. The term emphasizes interlacing rather than knotting, and is commonly used in everyday hair styling and textile descriptions.
"She wore a neat braid down the back of her head."
"The leather strap had a decorative braid stitched along its edge."
"Children braided the cords to create a colorful bracelet."
"The horse’s mane was tied into a single thick braid for the parade."
Braid comes from the Old Norse word braða or Old English brǣdan, related to weaving or interlacing. The root idea is to weave three or more strands together. Through Middle English, the term broadened to include any interlaced strands or woven trims, not just hair. By the 16th century, braid had a strong association with decorative cordage and hair styling. The word shares cognates with many Germanic languages, all of which emphasize the act of intertwining threads or fibers. Over time, braid evolved from a generic weaving action to a specific hairstyle and to describe woven decorative trims in textiles and carpentry. In modern usage, “braid” covers both the hairstyle and the decorative or functional woven strands, maintaining its core sense of interlacing strands in a structured pattern. The word’s persistence across centuries highlights how human cultures formalized weaving into both practical crafts and personal grooming. First known use as a noun in printed English sources dates to the late medieval period, with frequent appearances in textile catalogs and fashion commentary by the early modern era.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Braid" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Braid"
-aid sounds
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Pronounce as /breɪd/, with a single stressed syllable. Start with the consonant blend /br-/ followed by the long vowel /eɪ/ (as in 'bait'), and end with /d/. Lips spread slightly for the /eɪ/ diphthong, tongue high-mid for /eɪ/, and the /d/ is a clean alveolar stop. Practicing the transition from /br/ to /eɪ/ helps avoid adding extra vowels. You’ll hear it as one smooth syllable: /breɪd/.
Common errors include pronouncing the vowel as a pure /e/ (like in head) or inserting an extra vowel between /b/ and /r/ (e.g., /bə-reid/). Some learners also release the /d/ too forcefully, making it sound clipped or like /brayed/ with a longer /eɪ/. To correct: keep the /br/ onset tight, glide smoothly into /eɪ/, and finish with a clean /d/. Focus on producing the diphthong /eɪ/ without breaking it.
Across accents, /breɪd/ is fairly stable, but vowel quality varies. US and UK share the same rhotic onset, with /eɪ/ as a fronting diphthong; Australian English keeps a similar vowel but can have a slightly more centralized or lax ending. The main cross-accent difference is subtle vowel height and diphthong duration rather than the consonants: keep /br/ steady, but be mindful of the slight variation in /eɪ/ length and tongue height between US, UK, and AU.
The challenge lies in the precise /br/ onset and transitioning smoothly into the /eɪ/ diphthong without inserting extra vowels or breaking the glide. Some learners over-articulate the /r/ or insert a schwa between /b/ and /r/. Others mispronounce /eɪ/ as a short /e/ sound. Focus on maintaining a compact onset, a clear gliding vowel, and a quick, even release to /d/.
Yes—'braid' has a straightforward and compact pronunciation that matches its spelling. Unlike some words with silent letters, 'braid' is fully phonetic: the letters map directly to /br eɪ d/. The main phonetic consideration is ensuring the /eɪ/ is a precise diphthong rather than a simplified /e/ or /ɛ/ sound, and keeping /d/ as a crisp, clean alveolar stop without voicing into a following consonant.
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