How To Pronounce Sharp

sharp

Phonemic

/ʃɑːp/

Phonetic

[ʃɑːʴp̚]

Phonemic

/ʃɑːrp/

In British English, sharp is pronounced /ʃɑːp/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [ʃɑːʴp̚]. In American English, it is pronounced /ʃɑːrp/.

Sharp has one syllable. The British and American pronunciations are different, so listen to both.

Slashes / / show the phonemic transcription, the sounds that change meaning. Square brackets [ ] show the phonetic transcription, with the finer detail of how the sounds are actually made.

Syllables, Stress And Endings

Syllables And Stress

ʃɑːp

Sharp has one syllable in British English.

sharp + -s

-s (plural, possessive or singular verb) is /s/ after a voiceless consonant.

/ʃɑːps/

/ʃɑːrps/

sharp + -er

-er (comparative) is /ə/ in UK English and /ɚ/ in US English.

/ˈʃɑː.pə/

/ˈʃɑːr.pɚ/

sharp + -est

-est (superlative) is always /ɪst/.

/ˈʃɑː.pɪst/

/ˈʃɑːr.pɪst/

Words That Rhyme With Sharp

harp

Questions About Sharp

How do you pronounce sharp in British English?

In British English, sharp is pronounced /ʃɑːp/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [ʃɑːʴp̚].

How do you pronounce sharp in American English?

In American English, sharp is pronounced /ʃɑːrp/.

Do British and American English pronounce sharp the same way?

No. British English has /ʃɑːp/ and American English has /ʃɑːrp/.

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