How to pronounce hail
Say it like HAYL. Hail 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 hail. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- HAYL
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Hail pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- HAYLSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of hail
American and British speakers say hail in essentially the same way: /heɪl/ in the US and /heɪl/ in the UK.
British respelling: HAYL.
What does hail mean?
- praise vociferously“The critics hailed the young pianist as a new Rubinstein”
- be a native of“She hails from Kalamazoo”
- call for“hail a cab”
- precipitation of ice pellets when there are strong rising air currents
- many objects thrown forcefully through the air“a hail of pebbles”“a hail of bullets”
- enthusiastic greeting
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with hail
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of hail.
Words that sound like hail
Questions about saying hail
How do you pronounce hail?
Say HAYL. The American pronunciation is /heɪl/. In British English it is /heɪl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in hail?
Hail is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: HAYL.
Do Americans and Brits say hail the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /heɪl/ and the British form is /heɪl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as hail?
Hail sounds the same as hale in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.