Pronunciation

How to pronounce “box

“box” is pronounced /bɑks/ (BAHKS) in American English and /bɒks/ in British English — one syllable.
The sound

Say “box” in one beat

Say it like this

box

/bɑks/

The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /bɒks/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.

1 beat
  1. boxbɑks
IPA (American)
/bɑks/
IPA (British)
/bɒks/
Respelling
BAHKS
Syllables
1 — box
Stress
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /bɑks/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Part of speech
noun, verb
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/bɑks/

British

/bɒks/

No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.

Meaning

What “box” means

  1. noun

    a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid

    he rummaged through a box of spare parts

  2. noun

    private area in a theater or grandstand where a small group can watch the performance

    the royal box was empty

  3. noun

    the quantity contained in a box

    he gave her a box of chocolates

Say it in a sentence

She packed the old photos into a small cardboard box.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

4 sounds, in the order you say them

Each sound has its own page: where the tongue goes, what it is usually confused with, and words to drill it on.

Questions

box”, answered

How do you pronounce “box”?

“box” is pronounced /bɑks/ (BAHKS) in American English and /bɒks/ in British English — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /bɑks/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.

How many syllables does “box” have?

One, despite the 1 vowel letters in the spelling. The whole word is /bɑks/ — a single beat.

Is “box” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /bɑks/ (BAHKS); British English says /bɒks/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “box” mean?

As a noun: a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid For example: “he rummaged through a box of spare parts” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “box”?

One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /bɑks/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.

Practise this word

Now say “box” and see every sound

Record it once and sayit lines your audio up against the target sound by sound — what landed, what slipped, and what it sounded like instead.