How to pronounce thirst
Say it like THURST. Thirst 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 thirst. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- THURST
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Thirst pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- THURSTSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ur" in nurse.
American vs British pronunciation of thirst
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: THURST.
What does thirst mean?
- a physiological need to drink
- strong desire for something (not food or drink)“a thirst for knowledge”“hunger for affection”
- feel the need to drink
- have a craving, appetite, or great desire for
Where does thirst come from?
Germanic cognates include Old High German thurst, Middle High German durst, German Durst, Old Saxon thurst, Old Dutch thursti, Middle Dutch dorst, dorste, Dutch dorst, Old Norse þorsti (Swedish törst, Icelandic þorsti, Faroese tosti, Danish
Words that rhyme with thirst
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of thirst.
Questions about saying thirst
How do you pronounce thirst?
Say THURST. The American pronunciation is /θɝst/. In British English it is /θɜːst/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in thirst?
Thirst is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: THURST.
Is thirst 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 /θɜːst/ (THURST).