How to pronounce pinch
Say it like PINCH. Pinch 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 pinch. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- PINCH
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Pinch pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- PINCHSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of pinch
American and British speakers say pinch in essentially the same way: /pɪntʃ/ in the US and /pɪntʃ/ in the UK.
British respelling: PINCH.
What does pinch mean?
- squeeze tightly between the fingers“He pinched her behind”“She squeezed the bottle”
- make ridges into by pinching together
- make off with belongings of others
- a painful or straitened circumstance“the pinch of the recession”
- an injury resulting from getting some body part squeezed
- a slight but appreciable amount“this dish could use a touch of garlic”
Where does pinch come from?
From Middle English pinchen, from Old Northern French *pinchier (compare Old French pincier, pincer (“to pinch”)), a word of uncertain origin, possibly from Vulgar Latin *pinciāre (“to puncture, pinch”), from a merger of *punctiāre (“to pun
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with pinch
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of pinch.
Questions about saying pinch
How do you pronounce pinch?
Say PINCH. The American pronunciation is /pɪntʃ/. In British English it is /pɪntʃ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in pinch?
Pinch is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: PINCH.
Do Americans and Brits say pinch the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /pɪntʃ/ and the British form is /pɪntʃ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.