Pronunciation

How to pronounce “launched

“launched” is pronounced /lɔntʃt/ (LAWNCHT) in American English and /lɔːntʃt/ in British English — one syllable.
The sound

Say “launched” in one beat

Say it like this

launched

/lɔntʃt/

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

1 beat
  1. launchedlɔntʃt
IPA (American)
/lɔntʃt/
IPA (British)
/lɔːntʃt/
Respelling
LAWNCHT
Syllables
1 — launched
Stress
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /lɔntʃt/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Part of speech
verb
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/lɔntʃt/

British

/lɔːntʃt/

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

Meaning

What “launched” means

  1. verb

    set up or found

    She set up a literacy program

  2. verb

    propel with force

    launch the space shuttle

  3. verb

    launch for the first time; launch on a maiden voyage

    launch a ship

Say it in a sentence

They launched the service quietly and waited for feedback.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

5 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

launched”, answered

How do you pronounce “launched”?

“launched” is pronounced /lɔntʃt/ (LAWNCHT) in American English and /lɔːntʃt/ in British English — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /lɔntʃt/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.

How many syllables does “launched” have?

One, despite the 3 vowel letters in the spelling. The whole word is /lɔntʃt/ — a single beat.

Is “launched” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /lɔntʃt/ (LAWNCHT); British English says /lɔːntʃt/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “launched” mean?

As a verb: set up or found For example: “She set up a literacy program” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “launched”?

One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /lɔntʃt/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.

Practise this word

Now say “launched” 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.