How to pronounce scorn
Say it like SKORN. Scorn 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 scorn. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SKORN
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Scorn pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SKORNSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "aw" in law.
American vs British pronunciation of scorn
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: SKAWN.
What does scorn mean?
- Contempt or disdain.
- A display of disdain; a slight.
- An object of disdain, contempt, or derision.
- To feel or display contempt or disdain for something or somebody; to despise.
- To reject, turn down with disdain.“He scorned her romantic advances.”
- To refuse to do something, as beneath oneself.“She scorned to show weakness.”
Where does scorn come from?
Verb from Middle English scornen, schornen, alteration of Old French escharnir, from Vulgar Latin *escarnire, from Proto-West Germanic *skarnijan, possibly from Proto-Germanic *skeraną (“to shear”) (from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to cu
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with scorn
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of scorn.
Questions about saying scorn
How do you pronounce scorn?
Say SKORN. The American pronunciation is /skɔrn/. In British English it is /skɔːn/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in scorn?
Scorn is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SKORN.
Is scorn 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 /skɔːn/ (SKAWN).