Pronunciation

How to pronounce “scrutinise

“scrutinise” is pronounced /ˈskɹutəˌnaɪz/ (SKROO-tuh-nyze) in American English and /ˈskɹuːtɪnaɪz/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “skɹu”.
The sound

Say “scrutinise” in 3 beats

Say it like this

scrutinise

/ˈskɹutəˌnaɪz/

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

3 beats
  1. skɹuskɹustress
  2. naɪznaɪz
IPA (American)
/ˈskɹutəˌnaɪz/
IPA (British)
/ˈskɹuːtɪnaɪz/
Respelling
SKROO-tuh-nyze
Syllables
3 — SKɹU-tə-naɪz
Stress
Stress the first syllable: SKɹU-tə-naɪz. “skɹu” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Part of speech
verb
Difficulty
Legend — spelling and sound part company here
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈskɹutəˌnaɪz/

British

/ˈskɹuːtɪnaɪz/

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

Watch out

Where “scrutinise” goes wrong

  • Often heard

    skroo-TIN-yze

    the stress is on SKROO, the first syllable

Meaning

What “scrutinise” means

  1. verb

    to look at critically or searchingly, or in minute detail

    he scrutinized his likeness in the mirror

  2. verb

    examine carefully for accuracy with the intent of verification

    audit accounts and tax returns

Say it in a sentence

Auditors scrutinise every invoice over a thousand pounds.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

9 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

scrutinise”, answered

How do you pronounce “scrutinise”?

“scrutinise” is pronounced /ˈskɹutəˌnaɪz/ (SKROO-tuh-nyze) in American English and /ˈskɹuːtɪnaɪz/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “skɹu”. Build it as SKɹU-tə-naɪz, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “scrutinise” have?

3: skɹu · tə · naɪz. The beat lands on the first, “skɹu”.

Is “scrutinise” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈskɹutəˌnaɪz/ (SKROO-tuh-nyze); British English says /ˈskɹuːtɪnaɪz/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “scrutinise” mean?

As a verb: to look at critically or searchingly, or in minute detail For example: “he scrutinized his likeness in the mirror” It carries 1 other sense as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “scrutinise”?

Stress the first syllable: SKɹU-tə-naɪz. “skɹu” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “scrutinise” 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.