How to pronounce tug
Say it like TUHG. Tug 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 tug. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- TUHG
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Tug pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- TUHGSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "u" in cup.
American vs British pronunciation of tug
American and British speakers say tug in essentially the same way: /tʌɡ/ in the US and /tʌɡ/ in the UK.
British respelling: TUHG.
What does tug mean?
- a sudden abrupt pull
- a powerful small boat designed to pull or push larger ships
- pull hard“The prisoner tugged at the chains”“This movie tugs at the heart strings”
- strive and make an effort to reach a goal“She tugged for years to make a decent living”“We have to push a little to make the deadline!”
- tow (a vessel) with a tug“The tugboat tugged the freighter into the harbor”
Where does tug come from?
Cognate with German zögern (“to hesitate, pause”), Faroese and Icelandic toga (“to pull”), French touer (“to tow, tug a ship”); also Welsh dwyn (“to steal; to take; to bring to”), Latin dūcō (“to conduct, guide, lead; to take; to draw, pull
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with tug
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of tug.
Questions about saying tug
How do you pronounce tug?
Say TUHG. The American pronunciation is /tʌɡ/. In British English it is /tʌɡ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in tug?
Tug is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: TUHG.
Do Americans and Brits say tug the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /tʌɡ/ and the British form is /tʌɡ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.