How to pronounce thankful
Say it like THANGK-ful. Thankful has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (THANGK).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce thankful. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- THANGK
- ful
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Thankful pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- THANGKSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
- fulKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of thankful
American and British speakers say thankful in essentially the same way: /ˈθæŋkfəl/ in the US and /ˈθæŋkfəl/ in the UK.
British respelling: THANGK-ful.
What does thankful mean?
- feeling or showing gratitude“a grateful heart”“grateful for the tree's shade”
Where does thankful come from?
From Middle English thankful, from Old English þancful, þancfull (“thoughtful, pleasing, agreeable, pleasant, thankful, grateful”), equivalent to thank + -ful.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying thankful
How do you pronounce thankful?
Say THANGK-ful. The American pronunciation is /ˈθæŋkfəl/. In British English it is /ˈθæŋkfəl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in thankful?
Thankful has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (THANGK). Broken into parts: THANGK · ful.
Do Americans and Brits say thankful the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈθæŋkfəl/ and the British form is /ˈθæŋkfəl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.