Pronunciation

How to pronounce “stars

“stars” is pronounced /stɑɹz/ (STAHRZ) in American English and /stɑːz/ in British English — one syllable.
The sound

Say “stars” in one beat

Say it like this

stars

/stɑɹz/

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

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

American and British are not the same here

American

/stɑɹz/

British

/stɑːz/

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

Meaning

What “stars” means

  1. noun

    (astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior

  2. noun

    someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field

  3. noun

    any celestial body visible (as a point of light) from the Earth at night

Say it in a sentence

They lay on the grass and counted the stars all night.
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

stars”, answered

How do you pronounce “stars”?

“stars” is pronounced /stɑɹz/ (STAHRZ) in American English and /stɑːz/ in British English — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /stɑɹz/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.

How many syllables does “stars” have?

One, despite the 1 vowel letters in the spelling. The whole word is /stɑɹz/ — a single beat.

Is “stars” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /stɑɹz/ (STAHRZ); British English says /stɑːz/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “stars” mean?

As a noun: (astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior For example: “They lay on the grass and counted the stars all night.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “stars”?

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

Practise this word

Now say “stars” 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.