How to pronounce scotch
Say it like SKOCH. Scotch 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 scotch. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SKOCH
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Scotch pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SKOCHSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ah" in father.
American vs British pronunciation of scotch
- The short o is rounded in British English (as in "hot"), but open and unrounded in American English.
British respelling: SKOCH.
What does scotch mean?
- a slight surface cut (especially a notch that is made to keep a tally)
- whiskey distilled in Scotland; especially whiskey made from malted barley in a pot still
- hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of“What ultimately frustrated every challenger was Ruth's amazing September surge”“foil your opponent”
- make a small cut or score into
- of or relating to or characteristic of Scotland or its people or culture or its English dialect or Gaelic language“Scots Gaelic”“the Scots community in New York”
- avoiding waste“an economical meal”“an economical shopper”
Where does scotch come from?
From Middle English scocchen (“to cut”), perhaps from Anglo-Norman escocher (“to notch”), from es- (“intensive prefix”) (from Latin ex-) + Old French coche (“notch”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with scotch
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of scotch.
Questions about saying scotch
How do you pronounce scotch?
Say SKOCH. The American pronunciation is /skɑtʃ/. In British English it is /skɒtʃ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in scotch?
Scotch is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SKOCH.
Is scotch pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. The short o is rounded in British English (as in "hot"), but open and unrounded in American English. The British form is /skɒtʃ/ (SKOCH).