How to pronounce scant
Say it like SKANT. Scant 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 scant. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SKANT
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Scant pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SKANTSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
American vs British pronunciation of scant
American and British speakers say scant in essentially the same way: /skænt/ in the US and /skænt/ in the UK.
British respelling: SKANT.
What does scant mean?
- Not full, large, or plentiful; scarcely sufficient; scanty; meager.“a scant allowance of provisions or water; a scant pattern of cloth for a garment”
- Sparing; parsimonious; chary.
- Slightly diminished; just short of the amount described.“a scant cup of sugar”
- To limit in amount or share; to stint.“to scant someone in provisions; to scant ourselves in the use of necessaries”
- To fail, or become less; to scantle.“The wind scants.”
- Very little, very few.“After his previous escapades, Mary had scant reason to believe John.”
Where does scant come from?
Adjective and determiner from Middle English scant, from Old Norse skamt, neuter of skammr (“short”), from Proto-Germanic *skammaz (“short”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ḱem- (“mutilated, hornless”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with scant
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of scant.
Questions about saying scant
How do you pronounce scant?
Say SKANT. The American pronunciation is /skænt/. In British English it is /skænt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in scant?
Scant is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SKANT.
Do Americans and Brits say scant the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /skænt/ and the British form is /skænt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.