How to pronounce eel
Say it like EEL. Eel 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 eel. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- EEL
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Eel pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- EELSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of eel
American and British speakers say eel in essentially the same way: /il/ in the US and /iːl/ in the UK.
British respelling: EEL.
What does eel mean?
- Any freshwater fish of the order Anguilliformes, which are elongated and resemble snakes.
- A European eel (Anguilla anguilla).
- An electric eel (any knifefish of the genus Electrophorus)
- To fish for eels.
- To move with a sinuous motion like that of an eel.
Where does eel come from?
Cognate with West Frisian iel (“eel”), Dutch aal (“eel”), German Low German Aal, Ool (“eel”), German Aal (“eel”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish ål (“eel”), Faroese állur, álur (“eel”), Icelandic áll (“eel”).
Words that rhyme with eel
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of eel.
Questions about saying eel
How do you pronounce eel?
Say EEL. The American pronunciation is /il/. In British English it is /iːl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in eel?
Eel is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: EEL.
Do Americans and Brits say eel the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /il/ and the British form is /iːl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.