How to pronounce suck
Say it like SUHK. Suck 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 suck. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SUHK
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Suck pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SUHKSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "u" in cup.
American vs British pronunciation of suck
American and British speakers say suck in essentially the same way: /sʌk/ in the US and /sʌk/ in the UK.
British respelling: SUHK.
What does suck mean?
- draw into the mouth by creating a practical vacuum in the mouth“suck the poison from the place where the snake bit”“suck on a straw”
- draw something in by or as if by a vacuum“Mud was sucking at her feet”
- attract by using an inexorable force, inducement, etc.“The current boom in the economy sucked many workers in from abroad”
- the act of sucking
Where does suck come from?
From Middle English souken, suken, from Old English sūcan (“to suck”), from Proto-West Germanic *sūkan, from Proto-Germanic *sūkaną (“to suck, suckle”), from Proto-Indo-European *sewg-, *sewk- (“to suck”).
Words that rhyme with suck
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of suck.
Questions about saying suck
How do you pronounce suck?
Say SUHK. The American pronunciation is /sʌk/. In British English it is /sʌk/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in suck?
Suck is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SUHK.
Do Americans and Brits say suck the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /sʌk/ and the British form is /sʌk/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.