How to pronounce “tax”
Say “tax” in one beat
tax
/tæks/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /taks/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- taxtæks
- IPA (American)
- /tæks/
- IPA (British)
- /taks/
- Respelling
- TAKS
- Syllables
- 1 — tax
- Stress
- One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /tæks/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
- Part of speech
- noun, verb
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
/tæks/
/taks/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “tax” means
- noun
charge against a citizen's person or property or activity for the support of government
- verb
levy a tax on
“The State taxes alcohol heavily”
- verb
set or determine the amount of (a payment such as a fine)
Say it in a sentence
“The government raised the tax on imported cars.”“tax”, answered
How do you pronounce “tax”?
“tax” is pronounced /tæks/ (TAKS) in American English and /taks/ in British English — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /tæks/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.
How many syllables does “tax” have?
One, despite the 1 vowel letters in the spelling. The whole word is /tæks/ — a single beat.
Is “tax” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /tæks/ (TAKS); British English says /taks/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “tax” mean?
As a noun: charge against a citizen's person or property or activity for the support of government For example: “The government raised the tax on imported cars.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “tax”?
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /tæks/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Now say “tax” 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.