How to pronounce lap
Say it like LAP. Lap is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
- LAP
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Lap pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- LAPSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
American vs British pronunciation of lap
American and British speakers say lap in essentially the same way: /læp/ in the US and /læp/ in the UK.
British respelling: LAP.
What does lap mean?
- The loose part of a coat; the lower part of a garment that plays loosely; a skirt; an apron.
- An edge; a border; a hem, as of cloth.
- The part of the clothing that lies on the knees or thighs when one sits down; that part of the person thus covered.
- To enfold; to hold as in one's lap; to cherish.
- To rest or recline in someone's lap, or as in a lap.
- To fold; to bend and lay over or on something.“to lap a piece of cloth”
- to wrap around, enwrap, wrap up“to lap a bandage around a finger”
- to envelop, enfold“lapped in luxury”
Where does lap come from?
From Middle English lappe, from Old English læppa (“skirt or flap of a garment”), from Proto-West Germanic *lappō, from Proto-Germanic *lappô (“cloth; rag”), of uncertain origin, possibly Proto-Indo-European *leb- (“to hang loosely”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
- unlap
Words that rhyme with lap
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of lap.
Questions about saying lap
How do you pronounce lap?
Say LAP. The American pronunciation is /læp/. In British English it is /læp/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in lap?
Lap is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: LAP.
Do Americans and Brits say lap the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /læp/ and the British form is /læp/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.