2 syllables: Os, trich. Stress on Os.
AW-strich
/ˈɔstɹɪtʃ/
Ostrich is pronounced AW-strich (/ˈɔstɹɪtʃ/). It has two syllables (Os-trich), with the stress on "Os". An ostrich is a large, flightless bird native to Africa, characterized by a long neck, powerful legs, and rapid running ability. In common usage, it also refers to someone who avoids or ignores difficult issues (informal). It is the sole member of the genus Struthio found in Africa, renowned for its speed and distinctive plumage. The term is often used in phrases like ‘ostrich feathers’ or ‘ostrich farm.’.
nounAn ostrich is a large, flightless bird native to Africa, characterized by a long neck, powerful legs, and rapid running ability. In common usage, it also refers to someone who avoids or ignores difficult issues (informal). It is the sole member of the genus Struthio found in Africa, renowned for its speed and distinctive plumage. The term is often used in phrases like ‘ostrich feathers’ or ‘ostrich farm.’
"The ostrich can sprint up to 43 miles per hour."
"She found herself in a calm, ostrich-like denial of the problem."
"The film features an ostrich tied to a balloon in a surreal scene."
Pronounce as /ˈɒ.strɪtʃ/ in UK and /ˈɑː.strɪtʃ/ in US. Stress on the first syllable. The key sounds are the open back rounded vowel in the first syllable, the /str/ cluster beginning the second consonant cluster, and the final /tʃ/ as in ‘ch.’ Quick tip: say ‘OSS’ then ‘trich’ without separating the syllables too much.
Common errors: (1) Mispronouncing the first vowel as a lax /ə/ or /ɪ/; choose the open back vowel /ɒ/ UK or /ɑː/ US. (2) Dropping the /t/ or mispronouncing the /str/ cluster as /stɹ/; keep the /str/ together with a light /tʃ/ release. (3) Ending with a hard ‘k’ or ‘ch’ instead of the affricate /tʃ/. Practice by saying ‘oss-TRITCH’ with a brief pause before the /tʃ/.
US US: /ˈɑː.strɪtʃ/ with rhotacized /r/ and longer /ɑː/. UK: /ˈɒ.strɪtʃ/ with shorter /ɒ/ and non-rhotic /r/. Australian: /ˈɒː.strɪtʃ/ often with a broader /ɒː/ and less vowel reduction. In all, final /tʃ/ remains consistent; the main variation is vowel quality and rhotics.
The difficulty lies in the tightly packed consonant cluster /str/ after the stressed vowel and the final /tʃ/ affricate. The first syllable vowel also shifts in depth across accents, which can affect overall rhythm. Keep a steady /ɪ/ vs /ɪ/ or /ɒ/ distinction and practice the /str/ blend before the /tʃ/.
Ostrich has a unique ending with /tʃ/ after a /t/ in the coda; many learners avoid pronouncing the /t/ or misplace the tongue for /tʃ/. Focus on releasing the /t/ softly into /tʃ/, not a hard stop. Also the first syllable can be stressed differently in rare phrases, but the standard is primary stress on the first syllable: /ˈɒ.strɪtʃ/.
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The word ostrich comes from the Medieval Latin ostricious, from the Greek ostrix/ostrikos meaning ‘sparrow-hawk,’ though the chicken-like bird is unrelated to true raptors. The modern English ostrich likely derives from combining Latin ostrix with the Old French estriche/oostrich, which filtered into Middle English as ostrych or ostrech before settling on ostrich by the 16th century. Its earliest English attestations appear in the 14th–15th centuries in natural history texts, often describing the bird’s size and speed. Over time, the term broadened in metaphor to denote avoidance or denial in human behavior, giving phrases like ostrich mentality. The sense evolution reflects the human tendency to liken avoidance to the bird’s perceived inability to fly or deeply bury its head in the sand—though myth, not fact, about ostriches, has cemented this symbolic association. Today, ostrich is primarily a nominal label for the bird, but remains a frequent metaphor in literature and everyday speech.
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Words that rhyme with "Ostrich"
-ach sounds
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