How to pronounce curl
Say it like KURL. Curl 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 curl. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- KURL
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Curl pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- KURLSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ur" in nurse.
American vs British pronunciation of curl
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: KURL.
What does curl mean?
- form a curl, curve, or kink“the cigar smoke curled up at the ceiling”
- shape one's body into a curl“She curled farther down under the covers”“She fell and drew in”
- wind around something in coils or loops
- a round shape formed by a series of concentric circles (as formed by leaves or flower petals)
- American chemist who with Richard Smalley and Harold Kroto discovered fullerenes and opened a new branch of chemistry (born in 1933)
- a strand or cluster of hair
Where does curl come from?
Cognate with Saterland Frisian Krulle (“curl, lock”), West Frisian krul (“curl”), Dutch krul (“curl”), German Low German Krull (“curl”), dialectal German Krolle (“curl”), Danish krølle (“curl”), Norwegian Bokmål krøll (“curl”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with curl
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of curl.
Questions about saying curl
How do you pronounce curl?
Say KURL. The American pronunciation is /kɝl/. In British English it is /kɜːl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in curl?
Curl is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: KURL.
Is curl 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 /kɜːl/ (KURL).