How to pronounce sail
Say it like SAYL. Sail 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 sail. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SAYL
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Sail pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SAYLSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of sail
American and British speakers say sail in essentially the same way: /seɪl/ in the US and /seɪl/ in the UK.
British respelling: SAYL.
What does sail mean?
- traverse or travel on (a body of water)“We sailed the Atlantic”“He sailed the Pacific all alone”
- move with sweeping, effortless, gliding motions“The diva swept into the room”“Shreds of paper sailed through the air”
- travel on water propelled by wind“I love sailing, especially on the open sea”“the ship sails on”
- a large piece of fabric (usually canvas fabric) by means of which wind is used to propel a sailing vessel
- an ocean trip taken for pleasure
- any structure that resembles a sail
Where does sail come from?
From Middle English saile, sayle, seil, seyl, from Old English seġl, from Proto-West Germanic *segl, from Proto-Germanic *seglą.
Words that rhyme with sail
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of sail.
Words that sound like sail
Questions about saying sail
How do you pronounce sail?
Say SAYL. The American pronunciation is /seɪl/. In British English it is /seɪl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in sail?
Sail is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SAYL.
Do Americans and Brits say sail the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /seɪl/ and the British form is /seɪl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as sail?
Sail sounds the same as sale in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.