How to pronounce butcher
Say it like BUUCH-er. Butcher has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (BUUCH).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce butcher. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- BUUCH
- er
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Butcher pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- BUUCHSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "oo" in book.
- erKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "er" in butter.
American vs British pronunciation of butcher
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: BUUCH-uh.
What does butcher mean?
- kill (animals) usually for food consumption“They slaughtered their only goat to survive the winter”
- a retailer of meat
- a brutal indiscriminate murderer
- a person who slaughters or dresses meat for market
Where does butcher come from?
From Middle English bocher, boucher, from Old French bouchier (“goat slaughterer”), from Old French bouc (“goat”), from Medieval Latin buccus (“he-goat”), from Frankish *bukk, from Proto-Germanic *bukkaz (“male goat, male deer”), from Proto
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying butcher
How do you pronounce butcher?
Say BUUCH-er. The American pronunciation is /ˈbʊtʃɚ/. In British English it is /ˈbʊtʃə/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in butcher?
Butcher has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (BUUCH). Broken into parts: BUUCH · er.
Is butcher 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 /ˈbʊtʃə/ (BUUCH-uh).