How to pronounce turkey
Say it like TUR-kee. Turkey has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (TUR).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce turkey. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- TUR
- kee
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Turkey pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- TURSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ur" in nurse.
- keeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of turkey
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: TUR-kee.
What does turkey mean?
- large gallinaceous bird with fan-shaped tail; widely domesticated for food
- a Eurasian republic in Asia Minor and the Balkans; on the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in 1918, the Young Turks, led by Kemal Ataturk, established a republic in 1923
- a person who does something thoughtless or annoying“some joker is blocking the driveway”
Where does turkey come from?
Clipping of turkey-cock and turkey-hen, originally denoting the guinea fowl, an African bird that was first imported to Europe through Turkey, but there is some controversy over the origin.
Words that rhyme with turkey
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of turkey.
Questions about saying turkey
How do you pronounce turkey?
Say TUR-kee. The American pronunciation is /ˈtɝki/. In British English it is /ˈtɜːki/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in turkey?
Turkey has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (TUR). Broken into parts: TUR · kee.
Is turkey pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead. The British form is /ˈtɜːki/ (TUR-kee).