How to pronounce pick
Say it like PIK. Pick 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 pick. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- PIK
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Pick pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- PIKSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of pick
American and British speakers say pick in essentially the same way: /pɪk/ in the US and /pɪk/ in the UK.
British respelling: PIK.
What does pick mean?
- select carefully from a group“She finally picked her successor”“He picked his way carefully”
- look for and gather“pick mushrooms”“pick flowers”
- harass with constant criticism“Don't always pick on your little brother”
- the person or thing chosen or selected“he was my pick for mayor”
- the quantity of a crop that is harvested“he sent the first picking of berries to the market”“it was the biggest peach pick in years”
- the best people or things in a group“the cream of England's young men were killed in the Great War”
Where does pick come from?
Cognate with Dutch pikken (“to pick”), German picken (“to pick, peck”), Old Norse pikka, pjakka (whence Icelandic pikka (“to pick, prick”), Swedish picka (“to pick, peck”)).
Words that rhyme with pick
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of pick.
Words that sound like pick
Questions about saying pick
How do you pronounce pick?
Say PIK. The American pronunciation is /pɪk/. In British English it is /pɪk/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in pick?
Pick is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: PIK.
Do Americans and Brits say pick the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /pɪk/ and the British form is /pɪk/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as pick?
Pick sounds the same as pic in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.