Pronunciation guide
How to pronounce debris
duh-BREE (US, stress at the end) or DEB-ree (UK); the 's' is silent
US/dəˈbɹiː/
dəbɹiː
UK/ˈdɛbɹi/
dɛbɹi
New to IPA symbols? Read the IPA guide.
Common mistake
The 's' is silent - 'duh-BREE', not 'DEB-riss'.
What “debris” means
Rubble, wreckage, scattered remains of something destroyed.
Litter and discarded refuse.
In a sentence
- The storm left debris scattered across the beach.
- Construction crews cleared debris from the site to start rebuilding.
Definitions and examples are derived from Wiktionary, used under CC BY-SA 4.0, then edited by QuickPronounce. Pronunciation data draws on CMUdict.