How to pronounce surcharge
Say it like SUR-charj. Surcharge has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (SUR).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce surcharge. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SUR
- charj
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Surcharge pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SURSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ur" in nurse.
- charjGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "ah" in father.
American vs British pronunciation of surcharge
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: SUR-chahj.
Other ways to say surcharge
Surcharge also has this pronunciation, usually with a different meaning or use:
- ser-CHARJ /sɚˈtʃɑrdʒ/
What does surcharge mean?
- An addition of extra charge on the agreed, stated, or baseline price. Sometimes portrayed by a buyer as excessive and rapacious; usually portrayed by a seller as justified and necessary.“Our airline tickets cost twenty dollars more than we expected because we had to pay a fuel surcharge.”
- The part of the price of a subsidized good or service that is not covered by the subsidy and so must be paid by the consumer.
- An overprint on a stamp that alters (usually raises) the original nominal value of the stamp; used especially in times of hyperinflation.
- To apply a surcharge.
- To overload; to overburden.“to surcharge an animal or a ship; to surcharge a cannon”
- To overstock; especially, to put more cattle into (e.g. a common) than one has a right to do, or more than the herbage will sustain.
Where does surcharge come from?
From Middle French surcharge, from Old French.
Questions about saying surcharge
How do you pronounce surcharge?
Say SUR-charj. The American pronunciation is /ˈsɝˌtʃɑrdʒ/. In British English it is /ˈsɜːtʃɑːdʒ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in surcharge?
Surcharge has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (SUR). Broken into parts: SUR · charj.
Is surcharge 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 /ˈsɜːtʃɑːdʒ/ (SUR-chahj).