How to pronounce coil
Say it like KOYL. Coil 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 coil. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- KOYL
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Coil pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- KOYLSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "oy" in boy.
American vs British pronunciation of coil
American and British speakers say coil in essentially the same way: /kɔɪl/ in the US and /kɔɪl/ in the UK.
British respelling: KOYL.
What does coil mean?
- a structure consisting of something wound in a continuous series of loops“a coil of rope”
- a round shape formed by a series of concentric circles (as formed by leaves or flower petals)
- a transformer that supplies high voltage to spark plugs in a gasoline engine
- to wind or move in a spiral course“the muscles and nerves of his fine drawn body were coiling for action”“black smoke coiling up into the sky”
- make without a potter's wheel“This famous potter hand-builds all of her vessels”
- wind around something in coils or loops
Where does coil come from?
From Middle English coilen, from Old French coillir, cuillir (“to gather, pluck, pick, cull”) (modern French cueillir), from Latin colligō (“to gather together”), past participle collectus, from com- (“together”) + legō (“to gather”); compare legend.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with coil
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of coil.
Questions about saying coil
How do you pronounce coil?
Say KOYL. The American pronunciation is /kɔɪl/. In British English it is /kɔɪl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in coil?
Coil is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: KOYL.
Do Americans and Brits say coil the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /kɔɪl/ and the British form is /kɔɪl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.