Pronunciation

How to pronounce “gnarl

“gnarl” is pronounced /nɑɹl/ (NAHRL) in American English and /nɑːl/ in British English — one syllable.
The sound

Say “gnarl” in one beat

Say it like this

gnarl

/nɑɹl/

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

1 beat
  1. gnarlnɑɹl
IPA (American)
/nɑɹl/
IPA (British)
/nɑːl/
Respelling
NAHRL
Syllables
1 — gnarl
Stress
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /nɑɹl/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Part of speech
noun, verb
Difficulty
Legend — spelling and sound part company here
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/nɑɹl/

British

/nɑːl/

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

Meaning

What “gnarl” means

  1. noun

    something twisted and tight and swollen

    their muscles stood out in knots

  2. verb

    twist into a state of deformity

    The wind has gnarled this old tree

  3. verb

    make complaining remarks or noises under one's breath

    she grumbles when she feels overworked

Say it in a sentence

Years of wind had gnarled every tree on the ridge.
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

gnarl”, answered

How do you pronounce “gnarl”?

“gnarl” is pronounced /nɑɹl/ (NAHRL) in American English and /nɑːl/ in British English — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /nɑɹl/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.

How many syllables does “gnarl” have?

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

Is “gnarl” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /nɑɹl/ (NAHRL); British English says /nɑːl/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “gnarl” mean?

As a noun: something twisted and tight and swollen For example: “their muscles stood out in knots” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “gnarl”?

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

Practise this word

Now say “gnarl” and see every sound

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