How to pronounce churn
Say it like CHURN. Churn 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 churn. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- CHURN
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Churn pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- CHURNSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ur" in nurse.
American vs British pronunciation of churn
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: CHURN.
What does churn mean?
- To agitate rapidly and repetitively, or to stir with a rowing or rocking motion; generally applies to liquids, notably cream.“Now the cream is churned to make butter.”
- To produce excessive and sometimes undesirable or unproductive activity or motion.
- To move rapidly and repetitively with a rocking motion; to tumble, mix or shake.“I was so nervous that my stomach was churning.”
- A vessel used for churning, especially for producing butter.“a butter churn”
- A milk churn (container for the transportation of milk).
- Customer attrition; the phenomenon or rate of customers leaving a company.
Where does churn come from?
Noun from Middle English chyrne, cherne, kyrne ( > Scots kirn), from Old English ċyrn, ċyrin, ċirin (“churn”), from Proto-Germanic *kirnijǭ (“churn”); verb from Middle English chyrnen from Old English ċernan, from Proto-Germanic *kirnijaną
Words that rhyme with churn
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of churn.
Questions about saying churn
How do you pronounce churn?
Say CHURN. The American pronunciation is /tʃɝn/. In British English it is /tʃɜːn/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in churn?
Churn is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: CHURN.
Is churn 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 /tʃɜːn/ (CHURN).