How to pronounce knell
Say it like NEL. Knell 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 knell. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- NEL
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Knell pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- NELSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
American vs British pronunciation of knell
American and British speakers say knell in essentially the same way: /nɛl/ in the US and /nɛl/ in the UK.
British respelling: NEL.
What does knell mean?
- The sound of a bell knelling; a toll (particularly one signaling a death).
- A sign of the end or demise of something or someone.
- To ring a bell slowly, especially for a funeral; to toll.
- To signal or proclaim something (especially a death) by ringing a bell.
- To summon by, or as if by, ringing a bell.
Where does knell come from?
From Middle English knyllen, from Old English cnyllan (“to strike; knock; clap”), from Proto-West Germanic *knuʀlijan, from Proto-Germanic *knuzlijaną (“to beat; push; mash”), from Proto-Indo-European *gen- (“to squeeze, pinch, kink, ball up”).
Words that rhyme with knell
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of knell.
Questions about saying knell
How do you pronounce knell?
Say NEL. The American pronunciation is /nɛl/. In British English it is /nɛl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in knell?
Knell is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: NEL.
Do Americans and Brits say knell the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /nɛl/ and the British form is /nɛl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.