How to pronounce cross
Say it like KRAWS. Cross 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 cross. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- KRAWS
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Cross pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- KRAWSSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "aw" in law.
American vs British pronunciation of cross
American and British speakers say cross in essentially the same way: /krɔs/ in the US and /krɒs/ in the UK.
British respelling: KROS.
What does cross mean?
- travel across or pass over“The caravan covered almost 100 miles each day”
- meet at a point
- hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of“What ultimately frustrated every challenger was Ruth's amazing September surge”“foil your opponent”
- a wooden structure consisting of an upright post with a transverse piece
- a marking that consists of lines that cross each other
- a representation of the structure on which Jesus was crucified; used as an emblem of Christianity or in heraldry
- extending or lying across; in a crosswise direction; at right angles to the long axis“cross members should be all steel”“from the transverse hall the stairway ascends gracefully”
- annoyed and irritable
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with cross
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of cross.
Questions about saying cross
How do you pronounce cross?
Say KRAWS. The American pronunciation is /krɔs/. In British English it is /krɒs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in cross?
Cross is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: KRAWS.
Do Americans and Brits say cross the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /krɔs/ and the British form is /krɒs/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.