How to pronounce struggle
Say it like STRUHG-ul. Struggle has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (STRUHG).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce struggle. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- STRUHG
- ul
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Struggle pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- STRUHGSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "u" in cup.
- ulKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of struggle
American and British speakers say struggle in essentially the same way: /ˈstrʌɡəl/ in the US and /ˈstrʌɡəl/ in the UK.
British respelling: STRUHG-ul.
What does struggle mean?
- make a strenuous or labored effort“She struggled for years to survive without welfare”“He fought for breath”
- to exert strenuous effort against opposition“he struggled to get free from the rope”
- climb awkwardly, as if by scrambling
- an energetic attempt to achieve something“getting through the crowd was a real struggle”“he fought a battle for recognition”
- an open clash between two opposing groups (or individuals)“the harder the conflict the more glorious the triumph”“police tried to control the battle between the pro- and anti-abortion mobs”
- strenuous effort“the struggle to get through the crowd exhausted her”
Where does struggle come from?
Alternative etymology derives the base of struggle from Old Norse strúgr (“arrogance, pride, spitefulness, ill-will”) + -le (frequentative suffix), from Proto-Germanic *strūkaz (“stiff, rigid”), ultimately from the same Proto-Indo-European
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with struggle
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of struggle.
Questions about saying struggle
How do you pronounce struggle?
Say STRUHG-ul. The American pronunciation is /ˈstrʌɡəl/. In British English it is /ˈstrʌɡəl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in struggle?
Struggle has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (STRUHG). Broken into parts: STRUHG · ul.
Do Americans and Brits say struggle the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈstrʌɡəl/ and the British form is /ˈstrʌɡəl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.