lead
lead
Pronunciation
The word "lead" has two different pronunciations depending on its meaning.
Phonetic Spelling (IPA) & Syllables
The word "lead" is a single-syllable word.
Pronunciation 1 (rhymes with "seed")
This pronunciation is used for the verb meaning "to guide" or the noun meaning "the front position" or "a leash."
IPA: /liːd/
Syllable Breakdown:
/l/: The 'l' sound as in lip.
/iː/: The long 'ee' vowel sound as in see or meet.
/d/: The 'd' sound as in dog.
Pronunciation 2 (rhymes with "bed")
This pronunciation is used for the noun meaning "the metal element (Pb)" or "pencil graphite."
IPA: /lɛd/
Syllable Breakdown:
/l/: The 'l' sound as in lip.
/ɛ/: The short 'e' vowel sound as in bed or red.
/d/: The 'd' sound as in dog.
Word Form Variations
The forms of the word change depending on which version is being used.
Verb (/liːd/ - to guide)
Base/Infinitive: lead (e.g., "She will lead the team.")
Present Tense: lead (I/you/we/they lead)
Present Tense (3rd Person Singular): leads (He/she/it leads)
Present Participle (Gerund): leading (e.g., "He is leading the way.")
Past Tense: led (e.g., "She led them to safety.")
Past Participle: led (e.g., "They were led to believe...")
Related Noun (person): leader
Related Noun (concept): leadership
Noun (/liːd/ - a front position, a leash)
Singular: lead (e.g., "He has the lead." "Put the dog on a lead.")
Plural: leads (e.g., "They are following up on several leads.")
Noun (/lɛd/ - the metal, graphite)
Singular (as a mass/uncountable noun): lead (e.g., "The pipe is made of lead.")
Singular (as a countable noun): lead (e.g., "My pencil lead broke.")
Plural (countable): leads (e.g., "I need to buy more pencil leads.")
Related Adjective: leaded (e.g., "leaded gasoline," "leaded glass")
Related Adjective (antonym): unleaded, lead-free
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Pronunciation: /liːd/ (rhymes with "seed")
Verb
Definition: To guide, direct, or show the way, often by going in front.
Synonyms: guide, steer, pilot, escort, conduct.
Antonyms: follow, trail, obey.
Definition: To be in charge of, command, or manage a group, project, or organization.
Synonyms: command, manage, govern, supervise, preside over.
Antonyms: serve, assist (under).
Definition: To be in the first position or winning; to have an advantage.
Synonyms: excel, outstrip, surpass.
Antonyms: lose, trail, lag.
Definition: To result in or cause a particular outcome or conclusion.
Synonyms: cause, result in, produce, culminate in.
Antonyms: stem from, arise from.
Definition: To live or experience a particular kind of life.
Synonyms: live, experience, pass, have.
Antonyms: (none).
Noun
Definition: The first or winning position; an advantage or margin of superiority.
Synonyms: advantage, forefront, head, margin, edge.
Antonyms: deficit, disadvantage, rear, last place.
Definition: (Chiefly British) A strap, cord, or rope used to restrain or guide an animal, such as a dog.
Synonyms: leash, tether, restraint.
Antonyms: (none).
Definition: A piece of information or a clue that helps in solving a crime or finding a solution.
Synonyms: clue, tip, hint, pointer, suggestion.
Antonyms: dead end, misdirection.
Definition: The main role in a performance (play, film, etc.); the person who plays that role.
Synonyms: protagonist, star, principal, title role.
Antonyms: supporting role, extra, background.
Definition: An electrical wire or cable that connects a device to a power source or to other equipment.
Synonyms: cable, wire, cord.
Antonyms: (none).
Pronunciation: /lɛd/ (rhymes with "bed")
Noun
Definition: A heavy, soft, malleable, bluish-gray metallic element (chemical symbol Pb).
Synonyms: (none - it is an element).
Antonyms: (none).
Definition: The graphite core of a pencil.
Synonyms: graphite.
Antonyms: (none).
Definition: (Often plural, leads) Small metal weights, traditionally made of lead, used for things like weighting fishing lines or balancing tires.
Synonyms: weights, sinkers.
Antonyms: floats, buoys.
Examples of Use
Pronunciation: /liːd/ (rhymes with "seed")
This pronunciation is used for the verb meaning "to guide" and the noun meaning "a front position," "a clue," or "a leash."
In Newspapers and Online Publications
As a verb (to guide or manage): "The CEO is expected to lead the company through its next phase of digital transformation."
As a verb (to result in): "Investigators warned that the new evidence will likely lead to multiple arrests."
As a noun (an advantage): "In the latest polling, the challenger has taken a seven-point lead over the incumbent just weeks before the election." (Associated Press)
As a noun (a clue): "Detectives are currently following a promising lead in the downtown robbery case."
As a noun (sales/marketing): "Our recent webinar campaign was successful, generating over 500 new sales leads." (Forbes)
In Books and Literature
As a verb (to guide): "I will take the Ring," he said, "though I do not know the way. [...] But I will lead it, or follow it, or drag it to the last edge." (J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring)
As a verb (to experience a life): "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only." (While not using the word "lead," this sets up contexts where authors describe the kind of life characters lead.)
As a noun (an advantage): "He had a substantial lead in the race, but he knew that complacency was the enemy."
In Entertainment (Film, TV, Music)
As a noun (main role): "The studio just announced that Anya Taylor-Joy has been cast as the lead in the upcoming Mad Max prequel, Furiosa." (The Hollywood Reporter)
As a noun (music): "Many listeners recognize the song by its iconic lead guitar intro."
As a verb (dialogue): "You've got to trust me. Follow my lead, and I'll get us out of here." (Common film/TV dialogue).
As a verb (music): "In a choir, the sopranos often lead the melody while the other sections provide harmony."
In General Public Discourse
As a verb (to be in charge): "Who is going to lead the project now that Sarah has left?"
As a noun (a leash - chiefly UK/Commonwealth): "The park rules say you must keep your dog on a lead at all times."
As a verb (to show the way): "Go ahead, you know the area. You lead the way."
Pronunciation: /lɛd/ (rhymes with "bed")
This pronunciation is used exclusively for the noun meaning "the metal element (Pb)" or "pencil graphite."
In Newspapers and Online Publications
As a noun (the metal): "The Environmental Protection Agency has allocated billions of dollars to states to help remove and replace lead service lines, citing significant public health dangers." (The New York Times)
As a noun (the metal): "Residents were advised not to drink the tap water until tests confirmed it was free of lead contamination."
As a noun (adjunct): "Anglers are being encouraged to switch to non-toxic alternatives to traditional lead fishing weights to protect waterfowl."
In Books and Literature
As a noun (the metal): "The old Victorian house still had its original lead pipes, which the new owners knew they would have to replace immediately."
As a noun (pencil): "He pressed down too hard, snapping the pencil lead just as he was about to write down the answer."
In Entertainment (Film, TV)
As a noun (the metal): "In the medical drama, the doctors were racing to diagnose the child, eventually discovering the symptoms were caused by lead poisoning from paint chips in their old apartment."
As a noun (the metal): "The superhero was vulnerable to only two things: magic and lead shielding."
In General Public Discourse
As a noun (pencil): "I can't use this mechanical pencil; I'm all out of lead."
As a noun (the metal): "When we remodeled the kitchen, we had to wear masks because of the risk of lead paint."
10 Famous Quotes Using Lead
Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. (Helen Keller)
People ask the difference between a leader and a boss. The leader leads, and the boss drives. (Theodore Roosevelt)
Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you. (Ruth Bader Ginsburg)
It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. (Nelson Mandela)
Lead me, follow me, or get out of my way. (General George S. Patton)
A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd. (Max Lucado)
Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves. (Carl Jung)
You don't lead by hitting people over the head—that's assault, not leadership. (Dwight D. Eisenhower)
But what is happiness except the simple harmony between a man and the life he leads? (Albert Camus)
If you find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere. (Frank A. Clark)
Etymology
The word "lead" is a great example of two completely different words that just happen to be spelled the same. They come from entirely different roots, which is why they are pronounced differently and mean such different things.
1. Lead ( /liːd/ - to guide, to be first)
This is the older of the two words.
Origin: It comes from an Old English word, lǣdan (pronounced roughly "LAI-dan").
First Meaning: The meaning of lǣdan was almost identical to our word today: "to make someone go," "to guide," "to show the way," or "to go before."
Deeper Roots: This Old English word came from an even older Proto-Germanic word, *laidijaną, which meant "to cause to go" or "to travel." The core idea has always been about movement and guidance. You can think of a "leader" as someone who "causes others to go" with them.
2. Lead ( /lɛd/ - the metal)
This word also comes from Old English, but from a different source.
Origin: It comes from the Old English word lēad (pronounced roughly "LEH-ad"), which specifically meant the heavy, soft metal.
First Meaning: Its first known use was simply to name the metal element (Pb). This word is also related to similar words in other Germanic languages, like the Dutch lood and German Lot.
Deeper Roots: The origin of the metal's name is a bit murky. One theory suggests it might have been borrowed from a Proto-Celtic word, *ɸloudom, which may be related to the idea of "flowing," since the metal has a very low melting point and is easy to work with. You can see a connection in the Latin word for this metal, plumbum, which is where we get the chemical symbol Pb and the words "plumber" and "plumbing" (since pipes were historically made of lead).
Phrases + Idioms Containing Lead
Using 'Lead' (/liːd/ - to guide, be first)
All roads lead to Rome
To lead someone on (to deceive someone into a false belief, often romantic)
To lead someone by the nose (to control someone completely)
To lead someone down the garden path (to mislead or deceive someone)
You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink
To lead the way
To take the lead (to take the position in front)
To follow someone's lead (to do the same thing someone else has done)
To lead a double life
To lead with one's chin (to be vulnerable or act recklessly)
To have the lead (to be in the winning position)
A promising lead (a good clue or piece of information)
The lead singer / lead actor (the principal performer)
A sales lead (a potential customer)
To lead from the front (to set an example by actively participating)
Using 'Lead' (/lɛd/ - the metal)
(To go down) like a lead balloon (to fail completely or be poorly received)
(As) heavy as lead
To get the lead out (a slang expression meaning "to hurry up" or "stop dawdling")
A lead-pipe cinch (American slang for something that is absolutely certain or very easy to do)
Pencil lead
Lead poisoning
Leaded glass (glass containing lead, often used in decorative windows)
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of lead from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
