How to pronounce esquire
Say it like ES-kwire. Esquire has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (ES).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce esquire. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- ES
- kwire
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Esquire pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- ESSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- kwireGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "i" in time.
American vs British pronunciation of esquire
- The stress moves: Americans stress syllable 1, while British speakers stress syllable 2.
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: ih-SKWY.
What does esquire mean?
- A lawyer.
- A male member of the gentry ranking below a knight.
- An honorific sometimes placed after a man's name.
- The lower of the halves into which a square is divided diagonally, a single gyron, but potentially larger (extending across the shield) or smaller (for example, on Mortimer's arms).
Where does esquire come from?
From Middle English esquier, from Old French escuyer, escuier, properly, a shield-bearer (compare modern French écuyer (“shield-bearer, armor-bearer, squire of a knight, esquire, equerry, rider, horseman”)), from Late Latin scūtārius (“shie
Questions about saying esquire
How do you pronounce esquire?
Say ES-kwire. The American pronunciation is /ˈɛˌskwaɪr/. In British English it is /ɪˈskwaɪ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in esquire?
Esquire has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (ES). Broken into parts: ES · kwire.
Is esquire pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. The stress moves: Americans stress syllable 1, while British speakers stress syllable 2. The British form is /ɪˈskwaɪ/ (ih-SKWY).