How to pronounce earth
Say it like URTH. Earth 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 earth. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- URTH
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Earth pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- URTHSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ur" in nurse.
American vs British pronunciation of earth
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: URTH.
What does earth mean?
- the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on“the Earth moves around the sun”“he sailed around the world”
- the loose soft material that makes up a large part of the land surface“they dug into the earth outside the church”
- the solid part of the earth's surface“the plane turned away from the sea and moved back over land”“the earth shook for several minutes”
- hide in the earth like a hunted animal
- connect to the earth“earth the circuit”
Where does earth come from?
Probably unrelated, but of unknown etymology, is Old Armenian երկիր (erkir, “earth”).
Words that rhyme with earth
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of earth.
Questions about saying earth
How do you pronounce earth?
Say URTH. The American pronunciation is /ɝθ/. In British English it is /ɜːθ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in earth?
Earth is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: URTH.
Is earth 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 /ɜːθ/ (URTH).