How to pronounce howl
Say it like HOWL. Howl 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 howl. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- HOWL
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Howl pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- HOWLSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ow" in now.
American vs British pronunciation of howl
American and British speakers say howl in essentially the same way: /haʊl/ in the US and /haʊl/ in the UK.
British respelling: HOWL.
What does howl mean?
- The protracted, mournful cry of a dog, wolf or other canid; also of other animals.
- Any similar sound.“The howl of the wind”
- A prolonged cry of distress or anguish; a wail.
- To utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do.
- To utter a sound expressive of pain or distress; to cry aloud and mournfully; to lament; to wail.
- To make a noise resembling the cry of a wild beast.“They howled with laughter at the prank.”
Where does howl come from?
Cognate with Saterland Frisian huulje (“to howl”), Dutch huilen (“to cry”), Romanian a hăuli (“to howl”), Old French ouler, German Low German hulen (“to howl”), German heulen (“to howl”), Danish hyle (“to howl”), Swedish yla (“to scream, ye
Words that rhyme with howl
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of howl.
Questions about saying howl
How do you pronounce howl?
Say HOWL. The American pronunciation is /haʊl/. In British English it is /haʊl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in howl?
Howl is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: HOWL.
Do Americans and Brits say howl the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /haʊl/ and the British form is /haʊl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.