How to pronounce pawn
Say it like PAWN. Pawn 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 pawn. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- PAWN
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Pawn pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- PAWNSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "aw" in law.
American vs British pronunciation of pawn
American and British speakers say pawn in essentially the same way: /pɔn/ in the US and /pɔːn/ in the UK.
British respelling: PAWN.
What does pawn mean?
- an article deposited as security
- a person used by another to gain an end
- (chess) the least powerful piece; moves only forward and captures only to the side; it can be promoted to a more powerful piece if it reaches the 8th rank
- leave as a guarantee in return for money“pawn your grandfather's gold watch”
Where does pawn come from?
From Middle English paun, pawyn, pawnd, from Old French pan, pant (“pledge for a payment”), from a Germanic language, perhaps Frankish *pand (“deposit, security, pledge”), further origin uncertain.
Words that rhyme with pawn
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of pawn.
Questions about saying pawn
How do you pronounce pawn?
Say PAWN. The American pronunciation is /pɔn/. In British English it is /pɔːn/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in pawn?
Pawn is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: PAWN.
Do Americans and Brits say pawn the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /pɔn/ and the British form is /pɔːn/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.