How to pronounce knap
Say it like NAP. Knap 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 knap. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- NAP
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Knap pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- NAPSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
American vs British pronunciation of knap
American and British speakers say knap in essentially the same way: /næp/ in the US and /næp/ in the UK.
British respelling: NAP.
What does knap mean?
- To break (something) into small pieces with a cracking sound; to fragment, to smash; also, to break (something) apart sharply; to snap.
- To break away flakes from (a brittle material which fractures conchoidally (“with planar concentric curves”), usually a mineral such as chert, flint, or obsidian), often to form a tool with a sharp edge or point.
- To strike (something) sharply; to knock, to rap.
Where does knap come from?
The noun is derived from Late Middle English knap, knappe (“sharp blow, strike”); further etymology uncertain, possibly from the verb (see above), or related to an ancestor of Danish knep and Swedish knäpp (“a flick, rap, snap”), probably u
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with knap
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of knap.
Words that sound like knap
Questions about saying knap
How do you pronounce knap?
Say NAP. The American pronunciation is /næp/. In British English it is /næp/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in knap?
Knap is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: NAP.
Do Americans and Brits say knap the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /næp/ and the British form is /næp/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as knap?
Knap sounds the same as nap in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.