Puke is a verb meaning to vomit or throw up. It is used both literally (to eject stomach contents) and figuratively (to cause disgust or revulsion). It commonly appears in informal speech and jokes, and can also describe something extremely unpleasant or nauseating. The term is short, monosyllabic, and stresses a single syllable in typical usage.
"I felt sick after the ride and started to puke."
"He told the story so vividly that I almost puked from the image."
"The rotten smell made me want to puke."
"Don’t puke over the side—there’s a bucket to use."
Puke originates in the 19th century in English, likely adopted from Dutch or Germanic roots with cognates tied to vomiting sounds or expressions. The precise origin is uncertain, but the term appears in American and British colloquial speech by the late 1800s. It may have evolved from earlier onomatopoeic or expressive forms representing the act of vomiting, or as a teasing, emphatic intensifier used in informal dialogue. Over time, puke solidified as a one-syllable, highly colloquial verb used across contexts to describe vomiting, and it is frequently encountered in casual writing, dialogue, and humor. Its usage has remained consistent as informal register, though it can be deemed crude in formal settings. First known uses appear in American fiction and spoken slang from the late 19th to early 20th century, with gradual spread into UK English through media and popular culture.
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Words that rhyme with "Puke"
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Puke is pronounced with a single stressed syllable /pjuːk/. Start with /p/ as a voiceless bilabial plosive, then glide into /j/ quickly to form /pju-/, followed by the long vowel /uː/ as in 'you', and end with /k/. The mouth moves from aCompressed lips for /p/ to a high, rounded back of the tongue for /uː/, then a final closing of the velar /k/. Stress falls on the entire syllable as it’s monosyllabic. You’ll want a smooth initial consonant cluster without extra release or aspirated aspiration beyond typical English. IPA: /pjuːk/. Audio references: listen to native speakers on Pronounce, Forvo, or YouGlish to hear natural linking and timing.
Common mistakes include turning /juː/ into two separate sounds (/j/ + /u/ separated) or misplacing the /k/ (pronouncing it as /pju:k/ or trailing with a weak /k/). Some learners also vocalize the /uː/ too short or flatten it to /u/ instead of the long /uː/. The key fix is a clean, rapid glide from /p/ to /j/ into a long /uː/ vowel with a crisp /k/ closure. Practice by saying /p/ then quickly slide to /j/ and hold /uː/ before the final /k/.
In US, UK, and AU accents, the core /pjuːk/ sequence remains, but vowel length and rhoticity affect surrounding sounds. US and UK typically keep a clear /juː/ glide after /p/, with non-rhotic tendencies in some UK accents causing slight variances in the following consonant clarity. Australian English maintains the /juː/ glide similarly, but vowels may be slightly flatter and there can be a subtle Australian vowel shift. Overall, the /p/ is aspirated in stressed positions, /j/ is a short semi-vowel, the /uː/ is long, and final /k/ is unreleased in casual speech. IPA: US /pjuːk/, UK /pjuːk/, AU /pjuːk/.
The difficulty often lies in the /pjuː/ cluster: a brief, precise transition from a plosive /p/ to the palatal approximant /j/, then maintaining a long /uː/ vowel before the final velar /k/. Many learners truncate the /juː/ into separate sounds or misarticulate the long /uː/, making it sound like /ju/ or /u/. Additionally, the final /k/ should be released crisply in careful speech; in fast speech it can become unreleased or softened. Mastery requires controlled timing of the glide and the timing of the final stop. IPA: /pjuːk/.
Puke has no silent letters; each letter contributes to the sound: /p/ (voiceless bilabial plosive), /j/ (palatal approximant as the /y/ sound), /uː/ (long close back rounded vowel), /k/ (voiceless velar stop). The tricky part is the /j/ after /p/ and the length of /uː/. Ensure the /p/ lands cleanly, then immediately soften into the /j/ without an intermediate vowel, and hold the /uː/ long enough before the final /k/. IPA: /pjuːk/.
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