How to pronounce curse
Say it like KURS. Curse 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 curse. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- KURS
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Curse pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- KURSSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ur" in nurse.
American vs British pronunciation of curse
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: KURS.
What does curse mean?
- utter obscenities or profanities“The drunken men were cursing loudly in the street”
- heap obscenities upon“The taxi driver who felt he didn't get a high enough tip cursed the passenger”
- wish harm upon; invoke evil upon“The bad witch cursed the child”
- an appeal to some supernatural power to inflict evil on someone or some group
- an evil spell“a witch put a curse on his whole family”“he put the whammy on me”
- something causing misery or death“the bane of my life”
Where does curse come from?
From Middle English curse, kors, cors, curs, from Old English cors, curs (“curse”), of unknown origin.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with curse
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of curse.
Questions about saying curse
How do you pronounce curse?
Say KURS. The American pronunciation is /kɝs/. In British English it is /kɜːs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in curse?
Curse is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: KURS.
Is curse 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 /kɜːs/ (KURS).