How to pronounce yaw
Say it like YAW. Yaw 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 yaw. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- YAW
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Yaw pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- YAWSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "aw" in law.
American vs British pronunciation of yaw
American and British speakers say yaw in essentially the same way: /jɔ/ in the US and /jɔː/ in the UK.
British respelling: YAW.
What does yaw mean?
- The rotation of an aircraft, ship, or missile about its vertical axis so as to cause the longitudinal axis of the aircraft, ship, or missile to deviate from the flight line or heading in its horizontal plane.
- The angle between the longitudinal axis of a projectile at any moment and the tangent to the trajectory in the corresponding point of flight of the projectile.
- A vessel's motion rotating about the vertical axis, so the bow yaws from side to side; a characteristic of unsteadiness.
- A single tumor in the disease called yaws.
- To turn about the vertical axis while maintaining course.
- To swerve off course to port or starboard.
- To steer badly, zigzagging back and forth across the intended course of a boat; to go out of the line of course.
Where does yaw come from?
Unknown, first attested in the mid-16th century.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with yaw
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of yaw.
Questions about saying yaw
How do you pronounce yaw?
Say YAW. The American pronunciation is /jɔ/. In British English it is /jɔː/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in yaw?
Yaw is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: YAW.
Do Americans and Brits say yaw the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /jɔ/ and the British form is /jɔː/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.