How to pronounce shall
Say it like SHAL. Shall 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 shall. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SHAL
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Shall pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SHALSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
American vs British pronunciation of shall
American and British speakers say shall in essentially the same way: /ʃæl/ in the US and /ʃæl/ in the UK.
British respelling: SHAL.
What does shall mean?
- Used before a verb to indicate the simple future tense in the first person singular or plural.“I shall sing in the choir tomorrow.”
- Used similarly to indicate determination or obligation in the second and third persons singular or plural.“Things haven't turned out as I intended they should, but I still intend that you shall take over the business.”
- Used in questions with the first person singular or plural to suggest a possible future action.“What shall I do? Shall I give you a hand?”
Where does shall come from?
Cognate with Scots sall, sal (“shall”), North Frisian skal, schal, Saterland Frisian skäl, schäl, schal (infinitive skälle, schälle), West Frisian sil (infinitive sille (“shall”)), Dutch zal (infinitive zullen (“shall”)), Low German schall
Words that rhyme with shall
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of shall.
Questions about saying shall
How do you pronounce shall?
Say SHAL. The American pronunciation is /ʃæl/. In British English it is /ʃæl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in shall?
Shall is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SHAL.
Do Americans and Brits say shall the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ʃæl/ and the British form is /ʃæl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.