How to pronounce charade
Say it like shuh-RAYD. Charade has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (RAYD).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce charade. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- shuh
- RAYD
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Charade pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- shuhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- RAYDSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of charade
American and British speakers say charade in essentially the same way: /ʃəˈreɪd/ in the US and /ʃəˈrɑːd/ in the UK.
British respelling: shuh-RAHD.
What does charade mean?
- A single round of the game charades, an acted form of the earlier riddles.
- A deception or pretense, originally an absurdly obvious one but now in general use.“This whole charade is absurd.”
- A form of wordplay where several words are placed together to form a new word or part thereof.
- To act out a charade (of); to gesture; to pretend.
Where does charade come from?
From French charade, charrade (“prattle, idle conversation; a kind of riddle”), probably from Occitan charrada (“conversation; chatter”), from charrar (“to chat; to chatter”) + -ada.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with charade
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of charade.
Questions about saying charade
How do you pronounce charade?
Say shuh-RAYD. The American pronunciation is /ʃəˈreɪd/. In British English it is /ʃəˈrɑːd/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in charade?
Charade has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (RAYD). Broken into parts: shuh · RAYD.
Do Americans and Brits say charade the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ʃəˈreɪd/ and the British form is /ʃəˈrɑːd/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.