How to pronounce hard
Say it like HARD. Hard is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
- HARD
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Hard pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- HARDSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ah" in father.
American vs British pronunciation of hard
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: HAHD.
What does hard mean?
- Solid and firm.
- Resistant to pressure; difficult to break, cut, or penetrate.“This bread is so stale and hard, I can barely cut it.”
- Strong.
- With much force or effort.“He hit the puck hard up the ice.”
- With difficulty.“His degree was hard earned.”
- Compactly.“The lake had finally frozen hard.”
- A firm or paved beach or slope convenient for hauling vessels out of the water.
- A tyre whose compound is softer than superhards, and harder than mediums.
- Crack cocaine.
Where does hard come from?
Cognate with Yola hard (“hard”), West Frisian hurd (“hard”), Alemannic German hert (“hard”), Bavarian hoat (“hard”), Central Franconian haat (“hard”), Dutch hard (“hard”), German hart (“hard”), Luxembourgish haart (“hard”), Danish and Swedi
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with hard
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of hard.
Questions about saying hard
How do you pronounce hard?
Say HARD. The American pronunciation is /hɑrd/. In British English it is /hɑːd/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in hard?
Hard is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: HARD.
Is hard 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 /hɑːd/ (HAHD).