How to pronounce launch
Say it like LAWNCH. Launch 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 launch. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- LAWNCH
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Launch pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- LAWNCHSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "aw" in law.
American vs British pronunciation of launch
American and British speakers say launch in essentially the same way: /lɔntʃ/ in the US and /lɔːntʃ/ in the UK.
British respelling: LAWNCH.
What does launch mean?
- set up or found“She set up a literacy program”
- propel with force“launch the space shuttle”“Launch a ship”
- launch for the first time; launch on a maiden voyage“launch a ship”
- a motorboat with an open deck or a half deck
- the act of propelling with force
Where does launch come from?
From Middle English launchen (“to throw as a lance”), Old French lanchier, another form (Old Northern French/Norman variant, compare Jèrriais lanchi) of lancier, French lancer, from lance.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with launch
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of launch.
Questions about saying launch
How do you pronounce launch?
Say LAWNCH. The American pronunciation is /lɔntʃ/. In British English it is /lɔːntʃ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in launch?
Launch is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: LAWNCH.
Do Americans and Brits say launch the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /lɔntʃ/ and the British form is /lɔːntʃ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.