How to pronounce peck
Say it like PEK. Peck 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 peck. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- PEK
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Peck pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- PEKSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
American vs British pronunciation of peck
American and British speakers say peck in essentially the same way: /pɛk/ in the US and /pɛk/ in the UK.
British respelling: PEK.
What does peck mean?
- To strike or pierce with the beak or bill (of a bird).“The birds pecked at their food.”
- To form by striking with the beak or a pointed instrument.“to peck a hole in a tree”
- To strike, pick, thrust against, or dig into, with a pointed instrument, especially with repeated quick movements.
- An act of striking with a beak.
- A small kiss.
- One quarter of a bushel; a dry measure of eight quarts; equal to approximately 9092 cubic centimeters in the imperial system or 8810 cubic centimeters in the U.S. system.“Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.”
- Similar units in other systems of measure, such as the Roman modius or Chinese dou.
- A great deal; a large or excessive quantity.“She figured most children probably ate a peck of dirt before they turned ten.”
Where does peck come from?
From Middle English pecken, pekken, variant of Middle English piken, picken, pikken (“to pick, use a pointed implement”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with peck
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of peck.
Questions about saying peck
How do you pronounce peck?
Say PEK. The American pronunciation is /pɛk/. In British English it is /pɛk/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in peck?
Peck is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: PEK.
Do Americans and Brits say peck the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /pɛk/ and the British form is /pɛk/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.