stahk
/stɑk/
stock is pronounced stahk (/stɑk/). Stock refers to a supply or reserve of goods or resources, a company’s capital in finance, or the belief in a particular measure of performance. It can denote the merchandise kept on hand for sale, the shares of a company, or a typical or traditional supply. In everyday use, it implies something kept ready for use or distribution, often with an economic or managerial context.
Stock refers to a supply or reserve of goods or resources, a company’s capital in finance, or the belief in a particular measure of performance. It can denote the merchandise kept on hand for sale, the shares of a company, or a typical or traditional supply. In everyday use, it implies something kept ready for use or distribution, often with an economic or managerial context.
- You often lengthen the vowel into a fuller sound like /ɔ/ or /oʊ/. Correction: aim for a short, lax vowel /ɒ/ (UK/AU) or /ɑ/ (US) and end with a crisp /k/. - You insert an extra syllable as /stɒk-ə/ or mispronounce it as /stɔk/; correction: keep it as one syllable, release straight into /k/. - You voice the final /k/ slightly or add a brief vowel after the /k/ in rapid speech; correction: practice stopping immediately after the /k/, with no voicing.
"The store restocked the shelves to ensure the stock was fresh."
"He invested in stock to diversify his portfolio."
"The stock of the company rose after the favorable earnings report."
Stock is a single syllable word with initial /st/ cluster, followed by the lax vowel /ɒ/ (UK/AU) or /ɑ/ (US) and ending with /k/. IPA: US /stɑk/; UK /stɒk/; AU /stɒk/. Place the tongue for /s/ and /t/ together in a crisp release, keep the /ɒ/ broad and open, then close with /k/ without a strong aspirate. You’ll want steady, quick onset and a short, clipped vowel before the final /k/.
Two common errors: (1) lengthening the vowel into a fuller /ɔ/ or /oʊ/—keep it short and lax as /ɒ/ or /ɑ/. (2) Inserting an extra syllable or a schwa before /k/, as in /stɒ-k/; instead, end abruptly with a clean /k/. Focus on the crisp /st/ onset and final voiceless /k/ without voicing noise after. Practice by saying /st/ together, then a quick /ɒ/ or /ɑ/, then /k/ in one swift release.
In US English, the vowel is the low back /ɑ/ (stɑk). In UK and AU, the vowel quality leans toward /ɒ/ (stɒk), a shorter, more rounded open sound. The /st/ cluster and final /k/ are consistent, but US speakers may have a tenser, more pronounced /ɑ/; UK/AU speakers maintain a more rounded, clipped /ɒ/. Rhoticity is not a major factor for this word, but overall vowel centralization differences can be heard in careful listening.
The challenge lies in the single-syllable compression: making the /st/ cluster precise, and choosing the correct vowel height for /ɑ/ (US) vs /ɒ/ (UK/AU). The final /k/ must be released without a following vowel or voicing; it’s easy to add a faint voice or a light /ə/ after the /k/. Also, rapid speech can blur the boundary between /st/ and /k/. Focus on a tight, single-syllable rhythm and a clean stop consonant.
There are no silent letters in stock. The stress is on the single syllable by default, with a straightforward onset cluster /st/. The key is the precise articulation: keep the /s/ and /t/ tightly connected, then a short, open vowel /ɒ/ or /ɑ/, followed immediately by a voiceless /k/. The absence of vowels between the onset and the final consonant makes timing critical in rapid speech.
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- US: /stɑk/ with a broader, lower /ɑ/; keep /æ/ away from this vowel. - UK/AU: /stɒk/, shorter and rounded; the /ɒ/ is more open than /ɔ/ but not as open as US /ɑ/. - Across accents, the /st/ onset remains strong; practice keeping air pressure consistent before release. - IPA references: US /stɑk/, UK /stɒk/, AU /stɒk/.
The word stock comes from the Old English stocc, meaning a stump, tree trunk, or something planted, which later broadened to mean a trunk of assets or a store of goods. Through Old North French estoc and Middle English estoken, it began to denote a supply or reserve; by the 14th century, stock also referred to the main stem of a family or population (as in stock and birth). In finance, stock developed from the idea of a “stake” or “share” in a venture, with company shares becoming known as stock by the 16th century. The extended sense—stock as merchandise kept for sale, or the capital allocated to a company—solidified during mercantile expansion in the Early Modern period. First known uses include phrases like “stock of provisions” and “stock in trade,” and the modern financial sense of equity ownership emerged robustly with 17th–18th century commercial records. The word evolved to encompass biological (plant stock) and generic reserves, which persists in contemporary usage across business, inventory, and agriculture contexts.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "stock" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "stock" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "stock"
-ock sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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