One syllable: flask.
/ˈflæsk/
Say it backFlask is a small, often metal container with a narrow mouth used to hold liquids, typically carried for personal use. In everyday English, it refers to a sealed vessel for beverages, or more informally, a quick, portable bottle. The word emphasizes compact design and secrecy or portability, and it appears in both literal and figurative expressions.
"She poured a little whiskey into her flask for the trip."
"The chemistry lab provided a sterile flask for the experiment."
"He tucked the silver-flask into his coat pocket before leaving."
Pronounce it as /flæsk/ in US and AU, with a short front lax vowel before the /l/ and the /sk/ cluster at the end. In UK English, it’s typically /flɑːsk/, a longer, open back vowel before the /sk/. Start with /f/ with light aspiration, then /l/ your tongue lightly touching the alveolar ridge, followed quickly by /æ/ (US/AU) or /ɑː/ (UK), and end with /sk/—a crisp /s/ immediately followed by /k/. Visualize a quick transition from lip rounding to an unrounded vowel, then a strong /s/ + /k/ closure to finish.
Two common errors are substituting /æ/ with /e/ as in ‘fe-sk’ or adding a pronounced /l/ after /fl/ (e.g., /fləlsk/). The correct sequence is /f/ + /l/ with the short /æ/ (US/AU) or /ɑː/ (UK), followed immediately by /s/ and /k/. Ensure the /l/ does not split the vowel; keep your tongue relaxed and the jaw steady to avoid an intrusive vowel or an extra syllable. Practice by saying ‘fl-’, then a tight /æ/ and a quick /sk/ closure.
US and AU typically use /flæsk/ with a short front vowel and a crisp /sk/ ending. UK commonly uses /flɑːsk/, with a longer, open-back vowel before /sk/, and similar final cluster. The /l/ remains light in all dialects, but vowel length and quality shift; US/AU keep a shorter vowel, UK lengthens the preceding vowel slightly and may reduce rhoticity differences here since /r/ isn’t present in /flask/. For non-rhotic accents, the ending remains /sk/ without linking to an r.
The challenge rests in the tight consonant cluster /sk/ at the end and the quick transition from the vowel to the /s/ and /k/. The mouth needs to move from a rounded /f/ and /l/ position into a sharp /s/ then /k/ without inserting a vowel. Small variations in vowel length (short /æ/ vs open /ɑː/) across accents add to the complexity. Beginners often mis-treat the /l/ or insert an extra vowel; keeping the /l/ light and maintaining a clipped /sk/ helps accuracy.
Focus on the transition between /l/ and /æ/ (or /ɑː/). Keep the /l/ light and almost silent before the vowel starts; imagine sliding from /fl/ into the vowel without a full release of the /l/. Then deliver the /s/ with a sharp, narrow mouth opening and finish with /k/ using the back of the tongue. This creates a clean, concise ending without vocalic leakage.
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The word flask comes from Old English flasce or flesce, related to liquefied containers and vessels. Its roots lie in Proto-Germanic *flaskaz, with cognates across Germanic languages. The early senses referred to a flat, shallow vessel used for liquids and later to a broader class of hollow, sealed containers. By the 16th century, flask described small metal or glass vessels designed to carry drinkable liquids, especially in personal contexts. Through nautical and military usage, flasks gained associations with spoons-in-hand culture and clandestine beverages. In modern English, it retains its core image of a compact, portable vessel, and the noun has broadened to include both metal and plastic variants, retaining a sense of secrecy or personal provision. First known uses surface in Middle English records, and the modern sense consolidates in the 18th and 19th centuries as metal flasks became stylish in travel and outdoor life. The term evolved to emphasize portability, secrecy, and personal use, which persists in phrases like “a hip flask.”
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "flask" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "flask"
-ask sounds
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