How to pronounce tool
Say it like TOOL. Tool 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 tool. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- TOOL
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Tool pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- TOOLSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "oo" in food.
American vs British pronunciation of tool
American and British speakers say tool in essentially the same way: /tul/ in the US and /tuːl/ in the UK.
British respelling: TOOL.
What does tool mean?
- an implement used in the practice of a vocation
- the means whereby some act is accomplished“my greed was the instrument of my destruction”“science has given us new tools to fight disease”
- a person who is controlled by others and is used to perform unpleasant or dishonest tasks for someone else
- drive“The convertible tooled down the street”
- ride in a car with no particular goal and just for the pleasure of it“We tooled down the street”
- furnish with tools
Where does tool come from?
From Middle English tool, tol, from Old English tōl (“tool, implement, instrument”, literally “that with which one prepares something”), perhaps borrowed from Old Norse tól, but at any rate ultimately from Proto-Germanic *tōlą (“that which
Words that rhyme with tool
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of tool.
Words that sound like tool
Questions about saying tool
How do you pronounce tool?
Say TOOL. The American pronunciation is /tul/. In British English it is /tuːl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in tool?
Tool is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: TOOL.
Do Americans and Brits say tool the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /tul/ and the British form is /tuːl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as tool?
Tool sounds the same as tulle in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.