How to pronounce kill
Say it like KIL. Kill 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 kill. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- KIL
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Kill pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- KILSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of kill
American and British speakers say kill in essentially the same way: /kɪl/ in the US and /kɪl/ in the UK.
British respelling: KIL.
What does kill mean?
- cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly“This man killed several people when he tried to rob a bank”“The farmer killed a pig for the holidays”
- thwart the passage of“kill a motion”“he shot down the student's proposal”
- end or extinguish by forceful means“Stamp out poverty!”
- the act of terminating a life
- the destruction of an enemy plane or ship or tank or missile“the pilot reported two kills during the mission”
- the body of an animal, or bodies of animals, killed by a person or another animal
Words that rhyme with kill
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of kill.
Questions about saying kill
How do you pronounce kill?
Say KIL. The American pronunciation is /kɪl/. In British English it is /kɪl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in kill?
Kill is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: KIL.
Do Americans and Brits say kill the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /kɪl/ and the British form is /kɪl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.