How to pronounce zinc
Say it like ZINGK. Zinc 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 zinc. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- ZINGK
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Zinc pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- ZINGKSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of zinc
American and British speakers say zinc in essentially the same way: /zɪŋk/ in the US and /zɪŋk/ in the UK.
British respelling: ZINGK.
What does zinc mean?
- a bluish-white lustrous metallic element; brittle at ordinary temperatures but malleable when heated; used in a wide variety of alloys and in galvanizing iron; it occurs naturally as zinc sulphide in zinc blende
- coat or cover with zinc
Where does zinc come from?
Borrowed from German Zink, related to Zinke (“point, prong”), from Middle High German zinke, from Old High German zinko (“prong, tine”), allied to zint (“a jag, point”), from Proto-Germanic *tindaz (“prong, pinnacle”), from Proto-Indo-Europ
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
- zn
Words that rhyme with zinc
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of zinc.
Questions about saying zinc
How do you pronounce zinc?
Say ZINGK. The American pronunciation is /zɪŋk/. In British English it is /zɪŋk/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in zinc?
Zinc is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: ZINGK.
Do Americans and Brits say zinc the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /zɪŋk/ and the British form is /zɪŋk/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.