How to pronounce girn
Say it like GURN. Girn 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 girn. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- GURN
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Girn pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- GURNSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ur" in nurse.
American vs British pronunciation of girn
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: GURN.
What does girn mean?
- To whinge, moan, complain.
- To make elaborate unnatural and distorted faces as a form of amusement or in a girning competition.
- A vocalization similar to a cat's purring.
Where does girn come from?
From Middle English gyrnen, a metathesised form of grinnen, grennen.
Words that rhyme with girn
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of girn.
Questions about saying girn
How do you pronounce girn?
Say GURN. The American pronunciation is /ɡɝn/. In British English it is /ɡɜːn/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in girn?
Girn is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: GURN.
Is girn 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 /ɡɜːn/ (GURN).