Pronunciation

How to pronounce “kill

“kill” is pronounced /kɪl/ (KIL) — one syllable.
The sound

Say “kill” in one beat

Say it like this

kill

/kɪl/

The voice you hear here is American; a British voice is available in the app's settings.

1 beat
  1. killkɪl
IPA (American)
/kɪl/
IPA (British)
/kɪl/
Respelling
KIL
Syllables
1 — kill
Stress
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /kɪl/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Part of speech
noun, verb
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Meaning

What “kill” means

  1. noun

    the act of terminating a life

  2. noun

    the destruction of an enemy plane or ship or tank or missile

    the pilot reported two kills during the mission

  3. verb

    cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly

    This man killed several people when he tried to rob a bank

Say it in a sentence

The frost can kill young plants overnight if left uncovered.
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

kill”, answered

How do you pronounce “kill”?

“kill” is pronounced /kɪl/ (KIL) — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /kɪl/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.

How many syllables does “kill” have?

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

What does “kill” mean?

As a noun: the act of terminating a life For example: “The frost can kill young plants overnight if left uncovered.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “kill”?

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

Practise this word

Now say “kill” and see every sound

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