How to Pronounce “Worcestershire sauce”

American (US)

/ˈwʊstərʃɪr ˈsɔːs/

British (UK)

/ˈwʊstəʃə ˈsɔːs/

noun — An English condiment made with vinegar, onions, garlic, etc.; a thin, piquant sauce used as a table sauce, to flavour casseroles etc. and as an ingredient in Bloody Marys.

The final e is silent. The transcription /ˈwʊstərʃɪr ˈsɔːs/ ends on a consonant sound, so the written e at the end of “Worcestershire sauce” is not pronounced.

A loanword from English place name. English county names contract hard in speech: “Worcester” is “WUSS-ter” and the -shire ending reduces to “-sher”, giving “WUSS-ter-sher”. The middle of the spelling is simply not said.

Where the stress falls. “Worcestershire sauce” has 4 syllables, and the transcription /ˈwʊstərʃɪr ˈsɔːs/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the first one — so the first syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.

An unstressed vowel reduces to schwa. /ˈwʊstərʃɪr ˈsɔːs/ contains a schwa /ə/ — the short, neutral “uh” that English unstressed syllables collapse into. Saying /ə/ there, instead of the vowel the spelling suggests, is most of what makes the word sound native.

What does "Worcestershire sauce" mean?

Worcestershire sauce (noun): An English condiment made with vinegar, onions, garlic, etc.; a thin, piquant sauce used as a table sauce, to flavour casseroles etc. and as an ingredient in Bloody Marys.

How do you pronounce "Worcestershire sauce" in American vs British English?

American English: /ˈwʊstərʃɪr ˈsɔːs/. British English: /ˈwʊstəʃə ˈsɔːs/. Play both on this page to hear the difference.

What is the IPA transcription of "Worcestershire sauce"?

/ˈwʊstərʃɪr ˈsɔːs/ in American English, /ˈwʊstəʃə ˈsɔːs/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "Worcestershire sauce"?

“Worcestershire sauce” has 4 syllables, and the transcription /ˈwʊstərʃɪr ˈsɔːs/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the first one — so the first syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.