How to pronounce gnaw
Say it like NAW. Gnaw 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 gnaw. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- NAW
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Gnaw pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- NAWSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "aw" in law.
American vs British pronunciation of gnaw
American and British speakers say gnaw in essentially the same way: /nɔ/ in the US and /nɔː/ in the UK.
British respelling: NAW.
What does gnaw mean?
- To bite something persistently, especially something tough.“The dog gnawed the bone until it broke in two.”
- To produce excessive anxiety or worry.“Her comment gnawed at me all day and I couldn't think about anything else.”
- To corrode; to fret away; to waste.
- The act of gnawing.“give something a gnaw”
Where does gnaw come from?
Cognate with Dutch knagen, German nagen, Danish gnave (“to gnaw”), Norwegian Bokmål gnage, Norwegian Nynorsk gnaga, Swedish gnaga.
Words that rhyme with gnaw
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of gnaw.
Questions about saying gnaw
How do you pronounce gnaw?
Say NAW. The American pronunciation is /nɔ/. In British English it is /nɔː/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in gnaw?
Gnaw is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: NAW.
Do Americans and Brits say gnaw the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /nɔ/ and the British form is /nɔː/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.