How to pronounce tart
Say it like TART. Tart 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 tart. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- TART
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Tart pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- TARTSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ah" in father.
American vs British pronunciation of tart
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: TAHT.
What does tart mean?
- Sharp to the taste; acid; sour.“I ate a very tart apple.”
- High or too high in acidity.
- Sharp; keen; severe.“He gave me a very tart reply.”
- A type of small open pie, or piece of pastry, now typically containing jelly (US) / jam (UK) or conserve, or sometimes other fillings (chocolate, custard, egg, butter, historically even meat or other savory fillings).
- A melt (block of wax for use in a tart burner).
- To practice promiscuous sex.
- To dress garishly, ostentatiously, whorishly, or sluttily.
Where does tart come from?
From Middle English tart, from Old English teart (“sharp, rough, severe”), from Proto-West Germanic *tart, from Proto-Germanic *tartaz (“rough, sharp, tearing”), from Proto-Germanic *teraną (“to tear”), from Proto-Indo-European *der- (“to flay, split, cleave”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with tart
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of tart.
Questions about saying tart
How do you pronounce tart?
Say TART. The American pronunciation is /tɑrt/. In British English it is /tɑːt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in tart?
Tart is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: TART.
Is tart 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 /tɑːt/ (TAHT).