How to pronounce whirl
Say it like HWURL. Whirl 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 whirl. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- HWURL
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Whirl pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- HWURLSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ur" in nurse.
American vs British pronunciation of whirl
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: WURL.
What does whirl mean?
- To rotate, revolve, spin or turn rapidly.“The dancer whirled across the stage, stopped, and whirled around to face the audience.”
- To have a sensation of spinning or reeling.“My head is whirling after all that drink.”
- To make something or someone whirl.“The dancer whirled his partner round on her toes.”
- An act of whirling.“She gave the top a whirl and it spun across the floor.”
- Something that whirls, such as a whirlwind.
- A confused tumult.
Where does whirl come from?
From Middle English whirlen, contracted from earlier *whirvelen, *whervelen, possibly from Old English *hwyrflian, *hweorflian (attested in hwirflung, hwerflung (“change, vicissitude”)), frequentative form of Old English hweorfan (“to turn”
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with whirl
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of whirl.
Questions about saying whirl
How do you pronounce whirl?
Say HWURL. The American pronunciation is /hwɝl/. In British English it is /wɜːl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in whirl?
Whirl is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: HWURL.
Is whirl 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 /wɜːl/ (WURL).