How to Pronounce Shake

To pronounce "shake", say SHAK-e — 2 syllables, IPA /ˈʃeɪk/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

shake

Tap to hear · American accent

Accent

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Speed

Syllable by syllable — tap each one

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Syllables

Letters

/ˈʃeɪk/

IPA

"shake" has 2 syllables: shak-e. It rhymes with break and opaque, if that helps it stick.

Sounds exactly like: shaikh, shaik, schake — easy to mix up when writing.

noun

The act of shaking or being shaken; tremulous or back-and-forth motion.
“She replied in the negative, with a shake of her head.”
A milkshake.

verb

To cause (something) to move rapidly in opposite directions alternatingly.
“He shook the can of soda for thirty seconds before delivering it to me, so that, when I popped it open, soda went everywhere.”
To move (one's head) from side to side, especially to indicate refusal, reluctance or disapproval.
“Shaking his head, he kept repeating "No, no, no".”

Real example sentences from Tatoeba (CC-BY) — tap to hear each one, or see it used on YouGlish.

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

How many syllables are in "shake"?▾

"Shake" has 2 syllables: shak · e.

What is the IPA transcription of "shake"?▾

The IPA transcription of "shake" is /ˈʃeɪk/.

What does "shake" mean?▾

Shake: The act of shaking or being shaken; tremulous or back-and-forth motion.

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