How to pronounce bawl
Say it like BAWL. Bawl 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 bawl. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- BAWL
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Bawl 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 bawl
American and British speakers say bawl in essentially the same way: /bɔl/ in the US and /bɔːl/ in the UK.
British respelling: BAWL.
What does bawl mean?
- To shout or utter in a loud and intense manner.“commanders bawling”
- To wail; to give out a blaring cry.“children bawling”
- To weep profusely.“children bawling”
- A loud, intense shouting or wailing.
Where does bawl come from?
From Middle English baulen, from Old Norse baula (“to bellow”) and/or Medieval Latin baulō (“to bark”), both from Proto-Germanic *bau- (“to roar”), conflated with Proto-Germanic *bellaną, *ballijaną, *buljaną (“to shout, low, roar”), from P
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with bawl
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of bawl.
Words that sound like bawl
Questions about saying bawl
How do you pronounce bawl?
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 bawl?
Bawl is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: BAWL.
Do Americans and Brits say bawl 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.
What words sound the same as bawl?
Bawl sounds the same as ball in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.