How to pronounce watch
Say it like WAHCH. Watch 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 watch. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- WAHCH
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Watch pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- WAHCHSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ah" in father.
American vs British pronunciation of watch
- The short o is rounded in British English (as in "hot"), but open and unrounded in American English.
British respelling: WOCH.
Other ways to say watch
Watch also has this pronunciation, usually with a different meaning or use:
- WAWCH /wɔtʃ/
What does watch mean?
- look attentively“watch a basketball game”
- follow with the eyes or the mind“Keep an eye on the baby, please!”“The world is watching Sarajevo”
- see or watch“view a show on television”“This program will be seen all over the world”
- a small portable timepiece
- a period of time (4 or 2 hours) during which some of a ship's crew are on duty
- a purposeful surveillance to guard or observe
Where does watch come from?
As a noun, from Middle English wacche, from Old English wæċċe.
Words that rhyme with watch
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of watch.
Questions about saying watch
How do you pronounce watch?
Say WAHCH. The American pronunciation is /wɑtʃ/. In British English it is /wɒtʃ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in watch?
Watch is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: WAHCH.
Is watch pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. The short o is rounded in British English (as in "hot"), but open and unrounded in American English. The British form is /wɒtʃ/ (WOCH).