How to pronounce color
Say it like KUHL-er. Color has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (KUHL).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce color. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- KUHL
- er
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Color pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- KUHLSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "u" in cup.
- erKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "er" in butter.
American vs British pronunciation of color
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: KUHL-uh.
Other ways to say color
Color also has this pronunciation, usually with a different meaning or use:
- KAW-ler /ˈkɔlɚ/
What does color mean?
- a visual attribute of things that results from the light they emit or transmit or reflect“a white color is made up of many different wavelengths of light”
- interest and variety and intensity“the Puritan Period was lacking in color”“the characters were delineated with exceptional vividness”
- the timbre of a musical sound“the recording fails to capture the true color of the original music”
- add color to“The child colored the drawings”“Fall colored the trees”
- affect as in thought or feeling“My personal feelings color my judgment in this case”“The sadness tinged his life”
- modify or bias“His political ideas color his lectures”
- having or capable of producing colors“color film”“he rented a color television”
Where does color come from?
The spelling color was popularized in modern American English by Noah Webster, to match the spelling of the word's Latin etymon, and make all American spellings of the derivatives consistent (colorimeter, coloration, colorize, colorless, etc).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with color
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of color.
Words that sound like color
Questions about saying color
How do you pronounce color?
Say KUHL-er. The American pronunciation is /ˈkʌlɚ/. In British English it is /ˈkʌlə/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in color?
Color has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (KUHL). Broken into parts: KUHL · er.
Is color pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead. The British form is /ˈkʌlə/ (KUHL-uh).
What words sound the same as color?
Color sounds the same as colour in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.