How to Pronounce “hammock”

American (US)

/ˈhæmək/

British (UK)

/ˈhæmək/

Australian (AU)

/ˈhæmək/

noun — A swinging couch or bed, usually made of netting or canvas about six feet (1.8 meters) wide, suspended by clews or cords at the ends.

Where the stress falls. “hammock” has 2 syllables, and the transcription /ˈhæmək/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the first one — so the first syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.

An unstressed vowel reduces to schwa. /ˈhæmək/ contains a schwa /ə/ — the short, neutral “uh” that English unstressed syllables collapse into. Saying /ə/ there, instead of the vowel the spelling suggests, is most of what makes the word sound native.

What does "hammock" mean?

hammock (noun): A swinging couch or bed, usually made of netting or canvas about six feet (1.8 meters) wide, suspended by clews or cords at the ends.

How do you pronounce "hammock" in American vs British English?

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "hammock", /ˈhæmək/, so the difference you hear is in how the vowels are coloured rather than in which sounds are used. Play both on this page to compare.

What is the IPA transcription of "hammock"?

/ˈhæmək/ in American English, /ˈhæmək/ in British English, /ˈhæmək/ in Australian English.

Which syllable is stressed in "hammock"?

“hammock” has 2 syllables, and the transcription /ˈhæmək/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the first one — so the first syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.