How to pronounce starch
Say it like STARCH. Starch 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 starch. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- STARCH
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Starch pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- STARCHSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ah" in father.
American vs British pronunciation of starch
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: STAHCH.
What does starch mean?
- A widely diffused vegetable substance, found in seeds, bulbs and tubers, as extracted (e.g. from potatoes, corn, rice, etc.) in the form of a white, glistening, granular or powdery substance, without taste or smell, and giving a very peculiar creaking sound when rubbed between the fingers. It is use
- Carbohydrates, as with grain and potato based foods.
- A stiff, formal manner; formality.
- To apply or treat with laundry starch, in order to create a hard, smooth surface.“She starched her blouses.”
- Stiff; precise; rigid.
Where does starch come from?
Cognate with dialectal Dutch sterk (“strong”), Middle Low German sterke (“strength”), German Stärke (“strength", also "starch”), Swedish stärkelse (“starch”), Icelandic sterkja (“starch”).
Words that rhyme with starch
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of starch.
Questions about saying starch
How do you pronounce starch?
Say STARCH. The American pronunciation is /stɑrtʃ/. In British English it is /stɑːtʃ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in starch?
Starch is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: STARCH.
Is starch 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 /stɑːtʃ/ (STAHCH).