How to pronounce hole
Say it like HOHL. Hole 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 hole. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- HOHL
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Hole pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- HOHLSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "o" in go.
American vs British pronunciation of hole
- The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh".
British respelling: HOHL.
What does hole mean?
- an opening into or through something
- an opening deliberately made in or through something
- one playing period (from tee to green) on a golf course“he played 18 holes”
- hit the ball into the hole
- make holes in
Where does hole come from?
Cognate with Dutch, Faroese, and Icelandic hol (“hole”), Danish hul (“hole”), Faroese, Icelandic, and Norn hola (“hole”), Norwegian Bokmål hol (“depression, hole, cavern”), Swedish hål (“hole”), French houle (“swell of water”).
Words that rhyme with hole
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of hole.
Words that sound like hole
Questions about saying hole
How do you pronounce hole?
Say HOHL. The American pronunciation is /hoʊl/. In British English it is /həʊl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in hole?
Hole is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: HOHL.
Is hole 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 /həʊl/ (HOHL).
What words sound the same as hole?
Hole sounds the same as whole in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.