How to pronounce torture
Say it like TOR-cher. Torture has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (TOR).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce torture. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- TOR
- cher
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Torture pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- TORSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "aw" in law.
- cherKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "er" in butter.
American vs British pronunciation of torture
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: TAW-chuh.
What does torture mean?
- torment emotionally or mentally
- subject to torture“The sinners will be tormented in Hell, according to the Bible”
- extreme mental distress
- unbearable physical pain
- intense feelings of suffering; acute mental or physical pain“an agony of doubt”“the torments of the damned”
Where does torture come from?
From Middle English torture, from Old French torture, from Late Latin tortūra (“a twisting, writhing, of bodily pain, a griping colic;” in Medieval Latin “pain inflicted by judicial or ecclesiastical authority as a means of persuasion, tort
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with torture
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of torture.
Questions about saying torture
How do you pronounce torture?
Say TOR-cher. The American pronunciation is /ˈtɔrtʃɚ/. In British English it is /ˈtɔːtʃə/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in torture?
Torture has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (TOR). Broken into parts: TOR · cher.
Is torture 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 /ˈtɔːtʃə/ (TAW-chuh).