How to pronounce tong
Say it like TAWNG. Tong 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 tong. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- TAWNG
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Tong pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- TAWNGSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "aw" in law.
American vs British pronunciation of tong
American and British speakers say tong in essentially the same way: /tɔŋ/ in the US and /tɒŋ/ in the UK.
British respelling: TONG.
What does tong mean?
- An instrument or tool used for manipulating things in a fire without touching them with the hands.
- To use tongs.
- To grab, manipulate or transport something using tongs.
- A Chinese lineage organization responsible for managing ancestral land.
- A Chinese secret society or gang.
Where does tong come from?
From Middle English tonge (“tongs, fang”), tange, from Old English tange, from Proto-West Germanic *tangu, from Proto-Germanic *tangō, from Proto-Indo-European *denḱ- (“to bite”).
Words that rhyme with tong
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of tong.
Questions about saying tong
How do you pronounce tong?
Say TAWNG. The American pronunciation is /tɔŋ/. In British English it is /tɒŋ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in tong?
Tong is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: TAWNG.
Do Americans and Brits say tong the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /tɔŋ/ and the British form is /tɒŋ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.