Pronunciation

How to pronounce “jack

“jack” is pronounced /dʒæk/ (JAK) in American English and /dʒak/ in British English — one syllable.
The sound

Say “jack” in one beat

Say it like this

jack

/dʒæk/

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

1 beat
  1. jackdʒæk
IPA (American)
/dʒæk/
IPA (British)
/dʒak/
Respelling
JAK
Syllables
1 — jack
Stress
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /dʒæk/ 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

/dʒæk/

British

/dʒak/

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

Meaning

What “jack” means

  1. noun

    a small worthless amount

    you don't know jack

  2. noun

    a man who serves as a sailor

  3. noun

    someone who works with their hands; someone engaged in manual labor

Say it in a sentence

He used a jack to lift the car and change the tire.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

3 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

jack”, answered

How do you pronounce “jack”?

“jack” is pronounced /dʒæk/ (JAK) in American English and /dʒak/ in British English — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /dʒæk/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.

How many syllables does “jack” have?

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

Is “jack” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /dʒæk/ (JAK); British English says /dʒak/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “jack” mean?

As a noun: a small worthless amount For example: “you don't know jack” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “jack”?

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

Practise this word

Now say “jack” 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.