How to pronounce wake
Say it like WAYK. Wake 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 wake. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- WAYK
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Wake pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- WAYKSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of wake
American and British speakers say wake in essentially the same way: /weɪk/ in the US and /weɪk/ in the UK.
British respelling: WAYK.
What does wake mean?
- be awake, be alert, be there
- stop sleeping“She woke up to the sound of the alarm clock”
- arouse or excite feelings and passions“The ostentatious way of living of the rich ignites the hatred of the poor”“The refugees' fate stirred up compassion around the world”
- the consequences of an event (especially a catastrophic event)“the aftermath of war”“in the wake of the accident no one knew how many had been injured”
- an island in the western Pacific between Guam and Hawaii
- the wave that spreads behind a boat as it moves forward“the motorboat's wake capsized the canoe”
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with wake
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of wake.
Questions about saying wake
How do you pronounce wake?
Say WAYK. The American pronunciation is /weɪk/. In British English it is /weɪk/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in wake?
Wake is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: WAYK.
Do Americans and Brits say wake the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /weɪk/ and the British form is /weɪk/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.