How to pronounce pole
Say it like POHL. Pole 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 pole. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- POHL
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Pole pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- POHLSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "o" in go.
American vs British pronunciation of pole
- The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh".
British respelling: POHL.
What does pole mean?
- a long (usually round) rod of wood or metal or plastic
- a native or inhabitant of Poland
- one of two divergent or mutually exclusive opinions“they are at opposite poles”“they are poles apart”
- propel with a pole“pole barges on the river”“We went punting in Cambridge”
- support on poles“pole climbing plants like beans”
- deoxidize molten metals by stirring them with a wooden pole
Where does pole come from?
Cognate with Scots pale, paill (“stake, pale”), North Frisian pul, pil (“stake, pale”), Saterland Frisian Pool (“pole”), West Frisian poal (“pole”), Dutch paal (“pole”), German Pfahl (“pile, stake, post, pole”), Danish pæl (“pole”), Swedish
Words that rhyme with pole
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of pole.
Words that sound like pole
Questions about saying pole
How do you pronounce pole?
Say POHL. The American pronunciation is /poʊl/. In British English it is /pəʊl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in pole?
Pole is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: POHL.
Is pole pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh". The British form is /pəʊl/ (POHL).
What words sound the same as pole?
Pole sounds the same as poll in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.