How to pronounce talk
Say it like TAWK. Talk is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
- TAWK
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Talk pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- TAWKSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "aw" in law.
American vs British pronunciation of talk
American and British speakers say talk in essentially the same way: /tɔk/ in the US and /tɔːk/ in the UK.
British respelling: TAWK.
What does talk mean?
- To communicate, usually by means of speech.“Let's sit down and talk.”
- To discuss; to talk about.“They sat down to talk business.”
- To speak (a certain language).“We talk French sometimes.”
- A conversation or discussion; usually serious, but informal.“We need to have a talk about your homework.”
- A lecture.“There is a talk on Shakespeare tonight.”
- Gossip; rumour.“There's been talk lately about the two of them.”
Where does talk come from?
Cognate with Low German taalken (“to chatter, gossip, talk”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
- keep quiet
Words that rhyme with talk
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of talk.
Questions about saying talk
How do you pronounce talk?
Say TAWK. The American pronunciation is /tɔk/. In British English it is /tɔːk/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in talk?
Talk is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: TAWK.
Do Americans and Brits say talk the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /tɔk/ and the British form is /tɔːk/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.