How to pronounce coup
Say it like KOO. Coup is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
- KOO
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Tip: The p is silent. Coup sounds like 'koo', rhyming with blue.
Coup pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- KOOSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "oo" in food.
American vs British pronunciation of coup
American and British speakers say coup in essentially the same way: /ku/ in the US and /kuː/ in the UK.
British respelling: KOO.
What does coup mean?
- A quick, brilliant, and highly successful act.
- A coup d'état.
- A takeover of one group by another.
- To execute a coup.
- To subject (a nation) to a coup d'état.
- To empty out, overturn, or tilt, such as from a cart or wheelbarrow.
- To exchange, barter.
Where does coup come from?
Reborrowed in modern times from modern French coup (“blow, strike”), from Old French coup, colp, from Late Latin colpus, from Latin colaphus.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with coup
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of coup.
Words that sound like coup
Questions about saying coup
How do you pronounce coup?
Say KOO. The American pronunciation is /ku/. In British English it is /kuː/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in coup?
Coup is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: KOO.
Do Americans and Brits say coup the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ku/ and the British form is /kuː/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as coup?
Coup sounds the same as coo, qu, cou, coups, koo in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.