Pronunciation guide
How to pronounce coup
KOO - one syllable, said like 'coo'; the 'p' is silent
US/ku/
ku
UK/kuː/
kuː
New to IPA symbols? Read the IPA guide.
Common mistake
The 'p' is silent - 'KOO', not 'koop'.
What “coup” means
A sudden, decisive, and often illegal seizure of power from a government; a coup d'etat.
A notably successful and unexpected achievement.
In a sentence
- The general seized power in a bloodless coup.
- Signing the star striker was a real coup for the small club.
Definitions and examples are derived from Wiktionary, used under CC BY-SA 4.0, then edited by QuickPronounce. Pronunciation data draws on CMUdict.