Pronunciation

How to pronounce “discharge

“discharge” has two pronunciations: /dɪsˈtʃɑɹdʒ/ as a verb and /ˈdɪsˌtʃɑɹdʒ/ as a noun — the part of speech decides which. The spelling never changes; the beat does, and the vowels reshape around wherever it lands. The transcription and syllable breakdown below describe the verb form.
Two pronunciations

discharge” is said two ways

As a verb

/dɪsˈtʃɑɹdʒ/

dis-CHARJ

To release, or to let something out. Beat on CHARJ.

As a noun

/ˈdɪsˌtʃɑɹdʒ/

DIS-charj

The release, or what is let out. Beat on DIS.

Listen for the beat, not the letters

One syllable gets longer, louder and a step higher, and the other one collapses towards a schwa. Say the whole sentence rather than the word on its own and let the grammar pull the beat where it belongs.Both forms live in one sentence here: “They discharge her on Friday and the discharge notes follow by post.

Each button plays a short phrase rather than the bare word: the model voice takes its stress from the words around it, so asking it for “discharge” on its own would play one reading twice instead of the verb and the noun. Read the transcription as you listen.

The sound

Say “discharge” in 2 beats

Say it like this — as a verb

discharge

/dɪsˈtʃɑɹdʒ/

Everything in this card describes the verb form. As a noun it is /ˈdɪsˌtʃɑɹdʒ/.

The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /dɪsˈtʃɑːdʒ/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.

2 beats
  1. dɪsdɪs
  2. tʃɑɹdʒtʃɑɹdʒstress
IPA (American)
/dɪsˈtʃɑɹdʒ/
IPA (British)
/dɪsˈtʃɑːdʒ/
Respelling
dis-CHARJ (verb) · DIS-charj (noun)
Syllables
2 — dɪs-TƩⱭɹDƷ
Stress
Stress the second syllable: dɪs-TƩⱭɹDƷ. “tʃɑɹdʒ” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Part of speech
noun, verb
Difficulty
Pro — the sounds are ordinary, the rhythm is where it slips
Accents

American and British are not the same here

This is the verb form in two accents — a separate question from the two pronunciations above, which are the same accent saying two different words.

American

/dɪsˈtʃɑɹdʒ/

British

/dɪsˈtʃɑːdʒ/

No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.

Watch out

Where “discharge” goes wrong

  • Often heard

    a hospital dis-CHARJ

    the paperwork is DIS-charj; dis-CHARJ is the act

Meaning

What “discharge” means

  1. noun

    the sudden giving off of energy

  2. noun

    the act of venting

  3. noun

    a substance that is emitted or released

Say it in a sentence

They discharge her on Friday and the discharge notes follow by post.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

7 sounds, in the order you say them

Each sound has its own page: where the tongue goes, what it is usually confused with, and words to drill it on.

Questions

discharge”, answered

How do you pronounce “discharge”?

“discharge” has two pronunciations: /dɪsˈtʃɑɹdʒ/ as a verb and /ˈdɪsˌtʃɑɹdʒ/ as a noun — the part of speech decides which. The spelling never changes; the beat does, and the vowels reshape around wherever it lands. The transcription and syllable breakdown below describe the verb form. Build it as dɪs-TƩⱭɹDƷ, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “discharge” have?

2: dɪs · tʃɑɹdʒ. The beat lands on the second, “tʃɑɹdʒ”.

Which pronunciation of “discharge” is correct?

Both are. /dɪsˈtʃɑɹdʒ/ (dis-CHARJ) as a verb; /ˈdɪsˌtʃɑɹdʒ/ (DIS-charj) as a noun. Nothing about the spelling tells you which — the sentence does. Move the beat and the word changes its job mid-sentence, which is why both are worth drilling. Both appear here: “They discharge her on Friday and the discharge notes follow by post.”

Is “discharge” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /dɪsˈtʃɑɹdʒ/ (dis-CHARJ); British English says /dɪsˈtʃɑːdʒ/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “discharge” mean?

As a noun: the sudden giving off of energy For example: “They discharge her on Friday and the discharge notes follow by post.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “discharge”?

Stress the second syllable: dɪs-TƩⱭɹDƷ. “tʃɑɹdʒ” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “discharge” and see every sound

Record it once and sayit lines your audio up against the target sound by sound — what landed, what slipped, and what it sounded like instead.