How to pronounce “top”
Say “top” in one beat
top
/tɑp/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /tɒp/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- toptɑp
- IPA (American)
- /tɑp/
- IPA (British)
- /tɒp/
- Also accepted
- /tɔp/
- Respelling
- TAHP
- Syllables
- 1 — top
- Stress
- One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /tɑp/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
- Part of speech
- noun, verb, adjective
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
/tɑp/
/tɒp/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “top” means
- noun
the upper part of anything
“the mower cuts off the tops of the grass”
- noun
the highest or uppermost side of anything
“put your books on top of the desk”
- noun
the top or extreme point of something (usually a mountain or hill)
“the view from the peak was magnificent”
Say it in a sentence
“He placed the vase carefully on top of the shelf.”“top”, answered
How do you pronounce “top”?
“top” is pronounced /tɑp/ (TAHP) in American English and /tɒp/ in British English, and /tɔp/ is also accepted — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /tɑp/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.
How many syllables does “top” have?
One, despite the 1 vowel letters in the spelling. The whole word is /tɑp/ — a single beat.
Is “top” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /tɑp/ (TAHP); British English says /tɒp/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “top” mean?
As a noun: the upper part of anything For example: “the mower cuts off the tops of the grass” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “top”?
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /tɑp/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Now say “top” 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.