How to pronounce nail
Say it like NAYL. Nail 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 nail. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- NAYL
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Nail pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- NAYLSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of nail
American and British speakers say nail in essentially the same way: /neɪl/ in the US and /neɪl/ in the UK.
British respelling: NAYL.
What does nail mean?
- attach something somewhere by means of nails“nail the board onto the wall”
- take into custody“the police nabbed the suspected criminals”
- hit hard“He smashed a 3-run homer”
- horny plate covering and protecting part of the dorsal surface of the digits
- a thin pointed piece of metal that is hammered into materials as a fastener
- a former unit of length for cloth equal to 1/16 of a yard
Words that rhyme with nail
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of nail.
Questions about saying nail
How do you pronounce nail?
Say NAYL. The American pronunciation is /neɪl/. In British English it is /neɪl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in nail?
Nail is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: NAYL.
Do Americans and Brits say nail the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /neɪl/ and the British form is /neɪl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.