How to pronounce cook
Say it like KUUK. Cook 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 cook. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- KUUK
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Cook pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- KUUKSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "oo" in book.
American vs British pronunciation of cook
American and British speakers say cook in essentially the same way: /kʊk/ in the US and /kʊk/ in the UK.
British respelling: KUUK.
What does cook mean?
- prepare a hot meal“My husband doesn't cook”
- prepare for eating by applying heat“Cook me dinner, please”“can you make me an omelette?”
- transform and make suitable for consumption by heating“These potatoes have to cook for 20 minutes”
- someone who cooks food
- English navigator who claimed the east coast of Australia for Britain and discovered several Pacific islands (1728-1779)
Where does cook come from?
Cognate with Cimbrian khoch (“cook”), Dutch kok (“cook”), German Koch (“cook”), Luxembourgish Kach (“cook”), Danish kok (“cook”), Icelandic kokkur (“cook”), Norwegian Bokmål and Norwegian Nynorsk kokk (“cook”), Swedish kock (“cook”).
Words that rhyme with cook
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of cook.
Questions about saying cook
How do you pronounce cook?
Say KUUK. The American pronunciation is /kʊk/. In British English it is /kʊk/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in cook?
Cook is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: KUUK.
Do Americans and Brits say cook the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /kʊk/ and the British form is /kʊk/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.