How to pronounce cold
Say it like KOHLD. Cold 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 cold. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- KOHLD
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Cold pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- KOHLDSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "o" in go.
American vs British pronunciation of cold
- The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh".
British respelling: KOHLD.
What does cold mean?
- having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration“a cold climate”“a cold room”
- extended meanings; especially of psychological coldness; without human warmth or emotion“a cold unfriendly nod”“a cold and unaffectionate person”
- having lost freshness through passage of time“a cold trail”“dogs attempting to catch a cold scent”
- a mild viral infection involving the nose and respiratory passages (but not the lungs)“will they never find a cure for the common cold?”
- the absence of heat“the coldness made our breath visible”“come in out of the cold”
- the sensation produced by low temperatures“he shivered from the cold”“the cold helped clear his head”
Where does cold come from?
Cognate with Scots cauld (“cold”), Saterland Frisian koold (“cold”), West Frisian kâld (“cold”), Alemannic German chalt, choalt, cholt, chélte (“cold”), Bavarian ckolt, kholt, koid, kòlt (“cold”), Central Franconian kalt (“cold”), Cimbrian
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with cold
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of cold.
Questions about saying cold
How do you pronounce cold?
Say KOHLD. The American pronunciation is /koʊld/. In British English it is /kəʊld/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in cold?
Cold is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: KOHLD.
Is cold 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 /kəʊld/ (KOHLD).