How to pronounce tomahawk
Say it like TAH-muh-hawk. Tomahawk has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (TAH).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce tomahawk. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- TAH
- muh
- hawk
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Tomahawk pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- TAHSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ah" in father.
- muhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- hawkKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "aw" in law.
American vs British pronunciation of tomahawk
- The short o is rounded in British English (as in "hot"), but open and unrounded in American English.
British respelling: TOM-uh-hawk.
What does tomahawk mean?
- An axe used by Native American warriors, originally made of stone, bone, or antler.
- A dunk performed with one's arm behind one's head.
- A geometric construction consisting of a semicircle and two line segments that serves as a tool for trisecting an angle; so called from its resemblance to the American Indian axe.
- To strike or cut up with a tomahawk.
- To perform a tomahawk dunk.
Where does tomahawk come from?
From an Eastern Algonquian word, most likely Powhatan tumahák; compare also Malecite-Passamaquoddy tomhikon (“axe”), Abenaki temahigan, demahigan (“axe”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying tomahawk
How do you pronounce tomahawk?
Say TAH-muh-hawk. The American pronunciation is /ˈtɑməhɔk/. In British English it is /ˈtɒməhɔːk/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in tomahawk?
Tomahawk has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (TAH). Broken into parts: TAH · muh · hawk.
Is tomahawk pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. The short o is rounded in British English (as in "hot"), but open and unrounded in American English. The British form is /ˈtɒməhɔːk/ (TOM-uh-hawk).