How to pronounce awful
Say it like AH-ful. Awful has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (AH).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce awful. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- AH
- ful
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Awful pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- AHSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ah" in father.
- fulKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of awful
American and British speakers say awful in essentially the same way: /ˈɑfəl/ in the US and /ˈɔːfəl/ in the UK.
British respelling: AW-ful.
Other ways to say awful
Awful also has this pronunciation, usually with a different meaning or use:
- AW-ful /ˈɔfəl/
What does awful mean?
- exceptionally bad or displeasing“atrocious taste”“abominable workmanship”
- causing fear or dread or terror“the awful war”“an awful risk”
- inspired by a feeling of fearful wonderment or reverence“awed by the silence”“awful worshippers with bowed heads”
- used as intensifiers“terribly interesting”“I'm awful sorry”
Where does awful come from?
The “very bad” sense is a pejorative semantic shift from the original sense of “awe-inspiring”.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with awful
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of awful.
Questions about saying awful
How do you pronounce awful?
Say AH-ful. The American pronunciation is /ˈɑfəl/. In British English it is /ˈɔːfəl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in awful?
Awful has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (AH). Broken into parts: AH · ful.
Do Americans and Brits say awful the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈɑfəl/ and the British form is /ˈɔːfəl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.