How to pronounce seal
Say it like SEEL. Seal 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 seal. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SEEL
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Seal pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SEELSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of seal
American and British speakers say seal in essentially the same way: /sil/ in the US and /siːl/ in the UK.
British respelling: SEEL.
What does seal mean?
- make tight; secure against leakage“seal the windows”
- close with or as if with a seal“She sealed the letter with hot wax”
- decide irrevocably“sealing dooms”
- fastener consisting of a resinous composition that is plastic when warm; used for sealing documents and parcels and letters
- a device incised to make an impression; used to secure a closing or to authenticate documents
- the pelt or fur (especially the underfur) of a seal“a coat of seal”
Where does seal come from?
From Middle English sel, from an inflectional form of Old English seolh, from Proto-West Germanic *selh, from Proto-Germanic *selhaz (compare Scots selch,selkie, North Frisian selich, Middle Dutch seel, zēle, Old High German selah, Danish s
Words that rhyme with seal
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of seal.
Questions about saying seal
How do you pronounce seal?
Say SEEL. The American pronunciation is /sil/. In British English it is /siːl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in seal?
Seal is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SEEL.
Do Americans and Brits say seal the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /sil/ and the British form is /siːl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.