How to pronounce writhe
Say it like RITH. Writhe 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 writhe. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- RITH
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Writhe pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- RITHSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of writhe
American and British speakers say writhe in essentially the same way: /rɪθ/ in the US and /rɪθ/ in the UK.
British respelling: RITH.
What does writhe mean?
- To twist, wring (something).
- To contort (a part of the body).
- To twist bodily; to contort one's self; to be distorted.
- A contortion.
- The number of negative crossings subtracted from the number of positive crossings in a knot
Where does writhe come from?
From Middle English writhen, from Old English wrīþan, from Proto-West Germanic *wrīþan, from Proto-Germanic *wrīþaną (“to weave, twist, turn”), from Proto-Indo-European *wreyt- (“to twist, writhe”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with writhe
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of writhe.
Questions about saying writhe
How do you pronounce writhe?
Say RITH. The American pronunciation is /rɪθ/. In British English it is /rɪθ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in writhe?
Writhe is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: RITH.
Do Americans and Brits say writhe the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /rɪθ/ and the British form is /rɪθ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.