Pronunciation

How to pronounce “knock

“knock” is pronounced /nɑk/ (NAHK) in American English and /nɒk/ in British English — one syllable.
The sound

Say “knock” in one beat

Say it like this

knock

/nɑk/

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

1 beat
  1. knocknɑk
IPA (American)
/nɑk/
IPA (British)
/nɒk/
Respelling
NAHK
Syllables
1 — knock
Stress
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /nɑk/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Part of speech
noun, verb
Difficulty
Pro — the sounds are ordinary, the rhythm is where it slips
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/nɑk/

British

/nɒk/

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

Meaning

What “knock” means

  1. noun

    the sound of knocking (as on a door or in an engine or bearing)

    the knocking grew louder

  2. noun

    negative criticism

  3. noun

    a vigorous blow

    the sudden knock floored him

Say it in a sentence

Knock twice and then wait; the bell has never worked.
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

knock”, answered

How do you pronounce “knock”?

“knock” is pronounced /nɑk/ (NAHK) in American English and /nɒk/ in British English — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /nɑk/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.

How many syllables does “knock” have?

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

Is “knock” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /nɑk/ (NAHK); British English says /nɒk/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “knock” mean?

As a noun: the sound of knocking (as on a door or in an engine or bearing) For example: “the knocking grew louder” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “knock”?

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

Practise this word

Now say “knock” 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.