How to pronounce hardship
Say it like HARD-ship. Hardship has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (HARD).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce hardship. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- HARD
- ship
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Hardship pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- HARDSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ah" in father.
- shipKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of hardship
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: HAHD-ship.
What does hardship mean?
- a state of misfortune or affliction“debt-ridden farmers struggling with adversity”“a life of hardship”
- something hard to endure“the asperity of northern winters”
- something that causes or entails suffering“I cannot think it a hardship that more indulgence is allowed to men than to women”“the many hardships of frontier life”
Where does hardship come from?
From Middle English hardshipe, equivalent to hard + -ship.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying hardship
How do you pronounce hardship?
Say HARD-ship. The American pronunciation is /ˈhɑrdʃɪp/. In British English it is /ˈhɑːdʃɪp/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in hardship?
Hardship has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (HARD). Broken into parts: HARD · ship.
Is hardship 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 /ˈhɑːdʃɪp/ (HAHD-ship).