How to pronounce “work”
Say “work” in one beat
work
/wɝk/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /wɜːk/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- workwɝk
- IPA (American)
- /wɝk/
- IPA (British)
- /wɜːk/
- Respelling
- WURK
- Syllables
- 1 — work
- Stress
- One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /wɝk/ 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
/wɝk/
/wɜːk/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “work” means
- noun
activity directed toward making or doing something
“she checked several points needing further work”
- noun
a product produced or accomplished through the effort or activity or agency of a person or thing
“it is not regarded as one of his more memorable works”
- noun
the occupation for which you are paid
“he is looking for employment”
Say it in a sentence
“She usually walks to work when the weather is nice.”“work”, answered
How do you pronounce “work”?
“work” is pronounced /wɝk/ (WURK) in American English and /wɜːk/ in British English — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /wɝk/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.
How many syllables does “work” have?
One, despite the 1 vowel letters in the spelling. The whole word is /wɝk/ — a single beat.
Is “work” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /wɝk/ (WURK); British English says /wɜːk/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “work” mean?
As a noun: activity directed toward making or doing something For example: “she checked several points needing further work” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “work”?
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /wɝk/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Now say “work” 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.