How to pronounce “dark”
Say “dark” in one beat
dark
/dɑɹk/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /dɑːk/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- darkdɑɹk
- IPA (American)
- /dɑɹk/
- IPA (British)
- /dɑːk/
- Respelling
- DAHRK
- Syllables
- 1 — dark
- Stress
- One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /dɑɹk/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
- Part of speech
- noun, adjective
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
/dɑɹk/
/dɑːk/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “dark” means
- noun
absence of light or illumination
- noun
absence of moral or spiritual values
“the powers of darkness”
- noun
an unilluminated area
“he moved off into the darkness”
Say it in a sentence
“The street was already dark by the time they left.”“dark”, answered
How do you pronounce “dark”?
“dark” is pronounced /dɑɹk/ (DAHRK) in American English and /dɑːk/ in British English — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /dɑɹk/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.
How many syllables does “dark” have?
One, despite the 1 vowel letters in the spelling. The whole word is /dɑɹk/ — a single beat.
Is “dark” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /dɑɹk/ (DAHRK); British English says /dɑːk/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “dark” mean?
As a noun: absence of light or illumination For example: “The street was already dark by the time they left.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “dark”?
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /dɑɹk/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Now say “dark” 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.