How to pronounce scorch
Say it like SKORCH. Scorch 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 scorch. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SKORCH
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Scorch pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SKORCHSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "aw" in law.
American vs British pronunciation of scorch
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: SKAWCH.
What does scorch mean?
- To burn the surface of something so as to discolour it
- To wither, parch or destroy something by heat or fire, especially to make land or buildings unusable to an enemy
- (To cause) to become scorched or singed
- A slight or surface burn.
- A discolouration caused by heat.
- Brown discoloration on the leaves of plants caused by heat, lack of water or by fungi.
Where does scorch come from?
From Middle English scorchen, scorcnen (“to make dry; parch”), perhaps an alteration of earlier *scorpnen, from Old Norse skorpna (“to shrivel up”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with scorch
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of scorch.
Questions about saying scorch
How do you pronounce scorch?
Say SKORCH. The American pronunciation is /skɔrtʃ/. In British English it is /skɔːtʃ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in scorch?
Scorch is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SKORCH.
Is scorch 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 /skɔːtʃ/ (SKAWCH).