How to pronounce “calf”
Say “calf” in one beat
calf
/kæf/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /kɑːf/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- calfkæf
- IPA (American)
- /kæf/
- IPA (British)
- /kɑːf/
- Respelling
- KAF
- Syllables
- 1 — calf
- Stress
- One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /kæf/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
- Part of speech
- noun
- Difficulty
- Pro — the sounds are ordinary, the rhythm is where it slips
American and British are not the same here
/kæf/
/kɑːf/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “calf” means
- noun
young of domestic cattle
- noun
the muscular back part of the shank
- noun
fine leather from the skin of a calf
Say it in a sentence
“A calf was born in the far field during the night.”“calf”, answered
How do you pronounce “calf”?
“calf” is pronounced /kæf/ (KAF) in American English and /kɑːf/ in British English — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /kæf/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.
How many syllables does “calf” have?
One, despite the 1 vowel letters in the spelling. The whole word is /kæf/ — a single beat.
Is “calf” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /kæf/ (KAF); British English says /kɑːf/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “calf” mean?
As a noun: young of domestic cattle For example: “A calf was born in the far field during the night.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “calf”?
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /kæf/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Now say “calf” 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.