# aloud

/əˈɫaʊd/ (US) · /ɐlˈaʊd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/aloud
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. audibly

adverb · CEFR A2

using your voice so that you can be heard, instead of reading or thinking silently.

For teachers: in a voice that can be heard; audibly. Often used with verbs like 'read', 'think', or 'speak' to distinguish from silent mental activity.

- The teacher asked the student to read the story aloud to the class.
- She found it helpful to read her essay aloud, as hearing the words helped her identify awkward phrasing that she had missed while reading silently.

### 2. loudly

adverb · CEFR B2 · Literary

with a lot of noise or a very strong voice.

For teachers: with a high volume or great intensity of sound. While 'loudly' is more common in modern speech for this sense, 'aloud' appears in literary contexts to mean with significant volume.

- He cried aloud in pain when he bumped his knee.
- The prophet cried aloud to the heavens, his voice echoing through the empty valley as he lamented the fate of his people.

## Examples

- Please read the text aloud to the class.
- She read the letter aloud so everyone in the room could hear the news.
- The actor delivered the monologue aloud with such clarity that even the audience in the back row could catch every subtle nuance of his performance.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.