How to pronounce shark
Say it like SHARK. Shark 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 shark. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SHARK
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Shark pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SHARKSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ah" in father.
American vs British pronunciation of shark
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: SHAHK.
What does shark mean?
- any of numerous elongate mostly marine carnivorous fishes with heterocercal caudal fins and tough skin covered with small toothlike scales
- a person who is ruthless and greedy and dishonest
- a person who is unusually skilled in certain ways“a card shark”
- play the shark; act with trickery
- hunt shark
Where does shark come from?
Other older authorities speculated that the word might derive from Yucatec Maya xok (“fish”) (/ʃok/), as John Hawkins brought a specimen from the area where Mayan was spoken to England in the 1560s.
Words that rhyme with shark
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of shark.
Questions about saying shark
How do you pronounce shark?
Say SHARK. The American pronunciation is /ʃɑrk/. In British English it is /ʃɑːk/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in shark?
Shark is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SHARK.
Is shark pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead. The British form is /ʃɑːk/ (SHAHK).