How to pronounce scarecrow
Say it like SKAIR-kroh. Scarecrow has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (SKAIR).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce scarecrow. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SKAIR
- kroh
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Scarecrow pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SKAIRSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
- krohGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "o" in go.
American vs British pronunciation of scarecrow
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
- The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh".
British respelling: SKAIR-kroh.
What does scarecrow mean?
- An effigy, typically made of straw and dressed in old clothes, fixed to a pole in a field to deter birds from eating crops or seeds planted there.
- Synonym of crow scarer (“a farmhand employed to scare birds from the fields”).
- Anything that appears terrifying but presents no danger; a paper tiger.
- To cause (a person, their body, etc.) to look awkward and stiff, like a scarecrow (noun sense 1).
- To splay (one's arms) away from the body, like the arms of a scarecrow.
- To frighten or terrify (someone or something), as if using a scarecrow.
Where does scarecrow come from?
The verb is derived from the noun.
Questions about saying scarecrow
How do you pronounce scarecrow?
Say SKAIR-kroh. The American pronunciation is /ˈskærˌkroʊ/. In British English it is /ˈskɛəkrəʊ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in scarecrow?
Scarecrow has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (SKAIR). Broken into parts: SKAIR · kroh.
Is scarecrow 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 /ˈskɛəkrəʊ/ (SKAIR-kroh).