How to pronounce hawk
Say it like HAWK. Hawk is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
- HAWK
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Hawk pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- HAWKSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "aw" in law.
American vs British pronunciation of hawk
American and British speakers say hawk in essentially the same way: /hɔk/ in the US and /hɔːk/ in the UK.
British respelling: HAWK.
What does hawk mean?
- diurnal bird of prey typically having short rounded wings and a long tail
- an advocate of an aggressive policy on foreign relations
- a square board with a handle underneath; used by masons to hold or carry mortar
- sell or offer for sale from place to place
- hunt with hawks“the tribes like to hawk in the desert”
- clear mucus or food from one's throat“he cleared his throat before he started to speak”
Where does hawk come from?
Cognate with West Frisian hauk, German Low German Haavke, Dutch havik, German Habicht, Swedish hök, Danish høg, Norwegian Bokmål hauk, Norwegian Nynorsk hauk, Faroese heykur, Icelandic haukur, Finnish haukka, Estonian haugas; also Latin cap
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with hawk
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of hawk.
Questions about saying hawk
How do you pronounce hawk?
Say HAWK. The American pronunciation is /hɔk/. In British English it is /hɔːk/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in hawk?
Hawk is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: HAWK.
Do Americans and Brits say hawk the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /hɔk/ and the British form is /hɔːk/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.