How to pronounce coal
Say it like KOHL. Coal 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 coal. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- KOHL
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Coal pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- KOHLSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "o" in go.
American vs British pronunciation of coal
- The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh".
British respelling: KOHL.
What does coal mean?
- fossil fuel consisting of carbonized vegetable matter deposited in the Carboniferous period
- a hot fragment of wood or coal that is left from a fire and is glowing or smoldering
- burn to charcoal“Without a drenching rain, the forest fire will char everything”
- supply with coal
- take in coal“The big ship coaled”
Where does coal come from?
Cognate with North Frisian kööl (“coal”), Saterland Frisian Koole (“coal”), West Frisian koal (“coal”), Cimbrian kholl (“coal”), Dutch kool (“coal; carbon”), German Kohle (“coal”), Limburgish Kǫe̩l (“coal”), Luxembourgish Kuel (“coal”), Vil
Words that rhyme with coal
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of coal.
Words that sound like coal
Questions about saying coal
How do you pronounce coal?
Say KOHL. The American pronunciation is /koʊl/. In British English it is /kəʊl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in coal?
Coal is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: KOHL.
Is coal pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh". The British form is /kəʊl/ (KOHL).
What words sound the same as coal?
Coal sounds the same as cole, kohl in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.