How to pronounce scarce
Say it like SKAIRS. Scarce 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 scarce. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SKAIRS
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Scarce pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SKAIRSSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
American vs British pronunciation of scarce
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: SKAIRS.
What does scarce mean?
- only a very short time before“we hardly knew them”“had scarcely rung the bell when the door flew open”
- almost not“he hardly ever goes fishing”“he was scarce sixteen years old”
- deficient in quantity or number compared with the demand“fresh vegetables were scarce during the drought”
Where does scarce come from?
The standard pronunciation having the /ɛə(ɹ)/ vowel instead of expected /ɑː(ɹ)/ is due to a tendency for Old and Middle French preconsonantal /ar/ to be borrowed as Middle English /aːr/ that only survives in this word and dace in the modern
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Questions about saying scarce
How do you pronounce scarce?
Say SKAIRS. The American pronunciation is /skɛrs/. In British English it is /skɛəs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in scarce?
Scarce is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SKAIRS.
Is scarce 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 /skɛəs/ (SKAIRS).