How to pronounce shatter
Say it like SHAT-er. Shatter has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (SHAT).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce shatter. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SHAT
- er
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Shatter pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SHATSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
- erKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "er" in butter.
American vs British pronunciation of shatter
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
- Americans usually soften the t in the middle into a quick d-like tap; British speakers keep a crisp t.
British respelling: SHAT-uh.
What does shatter mean?
- Of brittle solid materials (like glass or ice), to violently break into pieces.“The miners used dynamite to shatter rocks.”
- To destroy, disable.
- To dispirit or emotionally defeat.“to be shattered in intellect”
- A (pine) needle.
- A scattering, a smattering; a quantity of something scattered, like a sprinkling of seeds or a shower of rain.
- A form of concentrated cannabis.
Where does shatter come from?
Cognate with Dutch schateren (“to burst out laughing”), Low German schateren, Albanian shkatërroj (“to destroy, devastate”).
Words that rhyme with shatter
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of shatter.
Questions about saying shatter
How do you pronounce shatter?
Say SHAT-er. The American pronunciation is /ˈʃætɚ/. In British English it is /ˈʃætə/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in shatter?
Shatter has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (SHAT). Broken into parts: SHAT · er.
Is shatter 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 /ˈʃætə/ (SHAT-uh).