How to pronounce buck
Say it like BUHK. Buck 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 buck. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- BUHK
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Buck pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- BUHKSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "u" in cup.
American vs British pronunciation of buck
American and British speakers say buck in essentially the same way: /bʌk/ in the US and /bʌk/ in the UK.
British respelling: BUHK.
What does buck mean?
- to strive with determination“John is bucking for a promotion”
- resist“buck the trend”
- move quickly and violently“The car tore down the street”“He came charging into my office”
- a gymnastic horse without pommels and with one end elongated; used lengthwise for vaulting
- a piece of paper money worth one dollar
- United States author whose novels drew on her experiences as a missionary in China (1892-1973)
Where does buck come from?
The sense of an object indicating someone’s turn then occurred in American English, possibly originating from the game poker, where a knife (typically with a hilt made from a stag horn) was used as a place-marker to signify whose turn it was to deal.
Words that rhyme with buck
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of buck.
Questions about saying buck
How do you pronounce buck?
Say BUHK. The American pronunciation is /bʌk/. In British English it is /bʌk/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in buck?
Buck is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: BUHK.
Do Americans and Brits say buck the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /bʌk/ and the British form is /bʌk/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.