How to pronounce whack
Say it like WAK. Whack 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 whack. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- WAK
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Whack pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- WAKSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
American vs British pronunciation of whack
American and British speakers say whack in essentially the same way: /wæk/ in the US and /wæk/ in the UK.
British respelling: WAK.
What does whack mean?
- To hit, slap or strike.“The bat whacked the baseball.”
- To assassinate, bump off.
- To share or parcel out (often with up).“to whack the spoils of a robbery”
- The sound of a heavy strike.
- The strike itself.
- The stroke itself, regardless of its successful impact.
- Alternative spelling of wack (“annoyingly or disappointingly bad”).“That's whack, yo!”
Where does whack come from?
Uncertain. Originally Scottish; probably onomatopoeic, but compare Middle English thakken, from Old English þaccian (whence Modern thwack by conflation with whack).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with whack
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of whack.
Questions about saying whack
How do you pronounce whack?
Say WAK. The American pronunciation is /wæk/. In British English it is /wæk/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in whack?
Whack is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: WAK.
Do Americans and Brits say whack the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /wæk/ and the British form is /wæk/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.