How to pronounce neck
Say it like NEK. Neck 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 neck. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- NEK
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Neck pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- NEKSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
American vs British pronunciation of neck
American and British speakers say neck in essentially the same way: /nɛk/ in the US and /nɛk/ in the UK.
British respelling: NEK.
What does neck mean?
- the part of an organism (human or animal) that connects the head to the rest of the body“he admired her long graceful neck”“the horse won by a neck”
- a narrow elongated projecting strip of land
- a cut of meat from the neck of an animal
Where does neck come from?
Cognate with Scots nek (“neck”), North Frisian neek, neeke, Nak (“neck”), Saterland Frisian Näkke (“neck”), West Frisian nekke (“neck”), Dutch nek (“neck”), German Low German Nack (“neck”), German Nacken (“nape of the neck”), Danish nakke (
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with neck
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of neck.
Questions about saying neck
How do you pronounce neck?
Say NEK. The American pronunciation is /nɛk/. In British English it is /nɛk/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in neck?
Neck is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: NEK.
Do Americans and Brits say neck the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /nɛk/ and the British form is /nɛk/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.