How to pronounce walnut
Say it like WAWL-nuht. Walnut has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (WAWL).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce walnut. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- WAWL
- nuht
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Walnut pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- WAWLSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "aw" in law.
- nuhtGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "u" in cup.
American vs British pronunciation of walnut
American and British speakers say walnut in essentially the same way: /ˈwɔlˌnʌt/ in the US and /ˈwɔːlˌnʌt/ in the UK.
British respelling: WAWL-nuht.
What does walnut mean?
- nut of any of various walnut trees having a wrinkled two-lobed seed with a hard shell
- hard dark-brown wood of any of various walnut trees; used especially for furniture and paneling
- any of various trees of the genus Juglans
Where does walnut come from?
From Middle English walnote, walnutte, walnotte, from Old English wealhhnutu (“walnut”, literally “foreign nut”), from Proto-Germanic *walhahnuts (literally “foreigner-nut”).
Questions about saying walnut
How do you pronounce walnut?
Say WAWL-nuht. The American pronunciation is /ˈwɔlˌnʌt/. In British English it is /ˈwɔːlˌnʌt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in walnut?
Walnut has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (WAWL). Broken into parts: WAWL · nuht.
Do Americans and Brits say walnut the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈwɔlˌnʌt/ and the British form is /ˈwɔːlˌnʌt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.