How to pronounce north
Say it like NORTH. North 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 north. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- NORTH
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
North pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- NORTHSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "aw" in law.
American vs British pronunciation of north
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: NAWTH.
What does north mean?
- the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line
- the United States (especially the northern states during the American Civil War)“he has visited every state in the Union”“Lee hoped to detach Maryland from the Union”
- the cardinal compass point that is at 0 or 360 degrees
- situated in or facing or moving toward or coming from the north“artists like north light”“the north portico”
- in a northern direction“they earn more up north”“Let's go north!”
Where does north come from?
Cognate with various Germanic counterparts such as Yola noardth, nordh (“north”), North Frisian noor, nord, nuurd, Nuurđ (“north”), Saterland Frisian Noude, Nudde (“north”), West Frisian noard (“north”), Dutch noord (“north”), German Nord (
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with north
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of north.
Questions about saying north
How do you pronounce north?
Say NORTH. The American pronunciation is /nɔrθ/. In British English it is /nɔːθ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in north?
North is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: NORTH.
Is north pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead. The British form is /nɔːθ/ (NAWTH).