How to pronounce pierce
Say it like PEERS. Pierce 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 pierce. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- PEERS
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Pierce pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- PEERSSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of pierce
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: PEERS.
What does pierce mean?
- cut or make a way through“the knife cut through the flesh”“The path pierced the jungle”
- move or affect (a person's emotions or bodily feelings) deeply or sharply“The cold pierced her bones”“Her words pierced the students”
- sound sharply or shrilly“The scream pierced the night”
- 14th President of the United States (1804-1869)
Where does pierce come from?
From Middle English perce, from conjugated forms of Old French percier such as (jeo) pierce (“I pierce”), probably from Vulgar Latin *pertūsiō, from Latin pertūsus, past participle of pertundō (“thrust or bore through”), from per- (“through
Words that rhyme with pierce
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of pierce.
Questions about saying pierce
How do you pronounce pierce?
Say PEERS. The American pronunciation is /pɪrs/. In British English it is /pɪəs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in pierce?
Pierce is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: PEERS.
Is pierce 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 /pɪəs/ (PEERS).