How to pronounce ball
Say it like BAWL. Ball is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce ball. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- BAWL
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Ball pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- BAWLSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "aw" in law.
American vs British pronunciation of ball
American and British speakers say ball in essentially the same way: /bɔl/ in the US and /bɔːl/ in the UK.
British respelling: BAWL.
What does ball mean?
- round object that is hit or thrown or kicked in games“the ball travelled 90 mph on his serve”“the mayor threw out the first ball”
- a solid projectile that is shot by a musket“they had to carry a ramrod as well as powder and ball”
- an object with a spherical shape“a ball of fire”
- form into a ball by winding or rolling“ball wool”
Where does ball come from?
Cognate with Old Saxon ball, Dutch bal, Old High German bal, ballo (German Ball (“ball”); Ballen (“bale”)).
Words that rhyme with ball
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of ball.
Questions about saying ball
How do you pronounce ball?
Say BAWL. The American pronunciation is /bɔl/. In British English it is /bɔːl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in ball?
Ball is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: BAWL.
Do Americans and Brits say ball the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /bɔl/ and the British form is /bɔːl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.