How to pronounce disaster
Say it like dih-ZAS-ter. Disaster has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (ZAS).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce disaster. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- dih
- ZAS
- ter
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Disaster pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- dihKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- ZASSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
- terKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "er" in butter.
American vs British pronunciation of disaster
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
- British speakers use the long "ah" vowel of father where Americans use the "a" of cat.
British respelling: dih-ZAH-stuh.
What does disaster mean?
- a state of extreme (usually irremediable) ruin and misfortune“lack of funds has resulted in a catastrophe for our school system”“his policies were a disaster”
- an event resulting in great loss and misfortune“the whole city was affected by the irremediable calamity”“the earthquake was a disaster”
- an act that has disastrous consequences
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with disaster
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of disaster.
Questions about saying disaster
How do you pronounce disaster?
Say dih-ZAS-ter. The American pronunciation is /dɪˈzæstɚ/. In British English it is /dɪˈzɑːstə/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in disaster?
Disaster has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (ZAS). Broken into parts: dih · ZAS · ter.
Is disaster 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 /dɪˈzɑːstə/ (dih-ZAH-stuh).