How to pronounce burnt
Say it like BURNT. Burnt is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce burnt. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- BURNT
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Burnt pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- BURNTSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ur" in nurse.
American vs British pronunciation of burnt
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: BURNT.
What does burnt mean?
- ruined by overcooking“she served us underdone bacon and burnt biscuits”
- treated by heating to a high temperature but below the melting or fusing point“burnt sienna”
- destroyed or badly damaged by fire“a row of burned houses”“a charred bit of burnt wood”
Where does burnt come from?
Inherited from Middle English brent, brynt; by surface analysis, burn + t.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying burnt
How do you pronounce burnt?
Say BURNT. The American pronunciation is /bɝnt/. In British English it is /bɜːnt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in burnt?
Burnt is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: BURNT.
Is burnt pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead. The British form is /bɜːnt/ (BURNT).