How to pronounce onslaught
Say it like AWN-slawt. Onslaught has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (AWN).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce onslaught. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- AWN
- slawt
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Onslaught pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- AWNSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "aw" in law.
- slawtGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "aw" in law.
American vs British pronunciation of onslaught
American and British speakers say onslaught in essentially the same way: /ˈɔnˌslɔt/ in the US and /ˈɒnslɔːt/ in the UK.
British respelling: ON-slawt.
What does onslaught mean?
- A fierce attack.
- A large number of people or things resembling an attack.“They opened the doors and prepared for the onslaught of holiday shoppers.”
Where does onslaught come from?
From on- + slaught. Formed after Middle Dutch aenslag, aenslach, equivalent to aen + slag, although slaught corresponds to Middle Dutch slacht; slag is cognate with the English weaving term sley.
Questions about saying onslaught
How do you pronounce onslaught?
Say AWN-slawt. The American pronunciation is /ˈɔnˌslɔt/. In British English it is /ˈɒnslɔːt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in onslaught?
Onslaught has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (AWN). Broken into parts: AWN · slawt.
Do Americans and Brits say onslaught the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈɔnˌslɔt/ and the British form is /ˈɒnslɔːt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.