How to pronounce goal
Say it like GOHL. Goal 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 goal. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- GOHL
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Goal pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- GOHLSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "o" in go.
American vs British pronunciation of goal
- The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh".
British respelling: GOHL.
What does goal mean?
- the state of affairs that a plan is intended to achieve and that (when achieved) terminates behavior intended to achieve it“the ends justify the means”
- the place designated as the end (as of a race or journey)“a crowd assembled at the finish”“he was nearly exhausted as their destination came into view”
- game equipment consisting of the place toward which players of a game try to advance a ball or puck in order to score points
Where does goal come from?
Possibly cognate with Lithuanian gãlas (“end”), Latvian gals (“end”), Old Prussian gallan (“death”), Albanian ngalem (“to be limping, lame, paralyzed”), ngel (“to remain, linger, hesitate, get stuck”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with goal
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of goal.
Questions about saying goal
How do you pronounce goal?
Say GOHL. The American pronunciation is /ɡoʊl/. In British English it is /ɡəʊl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in goal?
Goal is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: GOHL.
Is goal pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh". The British form is /ɡəʊl/ (GOHL).