How to pronounce shire
Say it like SHIRE. Shire is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
VoiceSpeed
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce shire. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
US American/ʃaɪr/SHIRE
UK British/ˈʃaɪə/SHY-uh
- SHIRE
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Shire pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SHIRESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in time.
American vs British pronunciation of shire
- American English uses 1 syllable and British English 2.
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: SHY-uh.
What does shire mean?
noun
- The people living in a shire (noun sense 1.1) considered collectively.
- The general area in which a person comes from or lives.“When are you coming back to the shire?”
- An administrative area or district in other countries.
- To constitute or reconstitute (a country or region) into one or more shires (noun sense 1.1) or counties.“County Longford was shired in 1586.”
Where does shire come from?
The verb is derived from the noun.
Words that rhyme with shire
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of shire.
Questions about saying shire
How do you pronounce shire?
Say SHIRE. The American pronunciation is /ʃaɪr/. In British English it is /ˈʃaɪə/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in shire?
Shire is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SHIRE.
Is shire pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. American English uses 1 syllable and British English 2. The British form is /ˈʃaɪə/ (SHY-uh).