How to pronounce tall
Say it like TAWL. Tall 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 tall. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- TAWL
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Tall pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- TAWLSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "aw" in law.
American vs British pronunciation of tall
American and British speakers say tall in essentially the same way: /tɔl/ in the US and /tɔːl/ in the UK.
British respelling: TAWL.
What does tall mean?
- great in vertical dimension; high in stature“tall people”“tall buildings”
- lofty in style“he engages in so much tall talk, one never really realizes what he is saying”
- impressively difficult“a tall order”
- a garment size for a tall person
Where does tall come from?
The Oxford English Dictionary notes: "The sense development [of tall] is remarkable, but is paralleled more or less by that of other adjectives expressing estimation, such as buxom, canny, clean, clever, cunning, deft, elegant, handsome, pr
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with tall
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of tall.
Questions about saying tall
How do you pronounce tall?
Say TAWL. The American pronunciation is /tɔl/. In British English it is /tɔːl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in tall?
Tall is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: TAWL.
Do Americans and Brits say tall the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /tɔl/ and the British form is /tɔːl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.