How to pronounce shriek
Say it like SHREEK. Shriek 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 shriek. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SHREEK
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Shriek pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SHREEKSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of shriek
American and British speakers say shriek in essentially the same way: /ʃrik/ in the US and /ʃriːk/ in the UK.
British respelling: SHREEK.
What does shriek mean?
- A sharp, shrill outcry or scream; a shrill wild cry caused by sudden or extreme terror, pain, or the like.
- An exclamation mark.
- To utter a loud, sharp, shrill sound or cry, as do some birds and beasts; to scream, as in a sudden fright, in horror or anguish.
- To utter sharply and shrilly; to utter in or with a shriek or shrieks.
Where does shriek come from?
From obsolete shrick (1567), shreke, variants of earlier screak, skricke (before 1500), from Middle English scrycke, from a North Germanic/Scandinavian language (compare Swedish skrika, Danish skrige, Icelandic skríkja), from Proto-Germanic
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with shriek
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of shriek.
Questions about saying shriek
How do you pronounce shriek?
Say SHREEK. The American pronunciation is /ʃrik/. In British English it is /ʃriːk/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in shriek?
Shriek is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SHREEK.
Do Americans and Brits say shriek the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ʃrik/ and the British form is /ʃriːk/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.