How to pronounce “hard”
Say “hard” in one beat
hard
/hɑɹd/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /hɑːd/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- hardhɑɹd
- IPA (American)
- /hɑɹd/
- IPA (British)
- /hɑːd/
- Respelling
- HAHRD
- Syllables
- 1 — hard
- Stress
- One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /hɑɹd/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
- Part of speech
- adjective, adverb
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
/hɑɹd/
/hɑːd/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “hard” means
- adjective
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
“a difficult task”
- adjective
dispassionate
“took a hard look”
- adjective
resisting weight or pressure
Say it in a sentence
“Learning a new language can be really hard at first.”“hard”, answered
How do you pronounce “hard”?
“hard” is pronounced /hɑɹd/ (HAHRD) in American English and /hɑːd/ in British English — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /hɑɹd/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.
How many syllables does “hard” have?
One, despite the 1 vowel letters in the spelling. The whole word is /hɑɹd/ — a single beat.
Is “hard” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /hɑɹd/ (HAHRD); British English says /hɑːd/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “hard” mean?
As an adjective: not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure For example: “a difficult task” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “hard”?
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /hɑɹd/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Now say “hard” 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.