2 syllables: per, ished. Stress on per.
PER-isht
/ˈpɛɹɪʃt/
perished is pronounced PER-isht (/ˈpɛɹɪʃt/). It has two syllables (per-ished), with the stress on "per". Perished means to have died or ceased to exist. In everyday use, it often describes someone’s death or the nonexistence of something that once existed. The term can also appear in figurative phrases, implying the end or ruin of an entity or idea. (2-4 sentences, ~60 words).
Perished means to have died or ceased to exist. In everyday use, it often describes someone’s death or the nonexistence of something that once existed. The term can also appear in figurative phrases, implying the end or ruin of an entity or idea. (2-4 sentences, ~60 words)
"The sailors perished in the storm last night."
"If the old archive has perished, we may not be able to recover the records."
"Many ancient manuscripts perished in the fire, leaving little trace of their contents."
Pronounced /ˈpɛr.ɪʃt/ in US English, with primary stress on the first syllable. Start with /p/ followed by /ɛ/ as in 'pet', then /r/ with a curled tongue, the /ɪ/ as in 'kit' before the /ʃ/ sound, and finally a /t/ (clearly released when careful). In UK English, you may hear /ˈpeə.rɪʃt/ in some dialects, where the first vowel is more of a diphthong. Australian English tends to be /ˈpeər.ɪʃt/ or /ˈpeə.rɪʃt/, with a longer first-vowel glide and a crisp /t/.
Common errors: (1) Misplacing stress as second syllable; ensure primary stress is on the first syllable /ˈpɛr/. (2) Slurring /r/ into following vowel in non-rhotic accents; keep a distinct /r/ before /ɪ/. (3) Dropping the final /t/ or making it a stopless /-t/; pronounce a clear /t/ or release if careful speech. Correction tips: practice with slow, isolated sounds: /p/ + /ɛ/ + /r/ + /ɪ/ + /ʃ/ + /t/, then blend. Add 1-2 slow flushes of /t/ to avoid linking.” ,
In US English, /ˈpɛr.ɪʃt/ with rhotic /r/ and a lax /ɪ/. In many UK dialects, you may hear /ˈpeə.rɪʃt/ with a non-rhotic or reduced first vowel, and sometimes a lighter /t/; in some accents the /r/ is not pronounced before a non-rhotic vowel. In Australian English, /ˈpeər.ɪʃt/ or /ˈpeə.rɪʃt/ is common, with a more prominent vowel in the first syllable and a released final /t/.
Because of the cluster /rɪʃt/ at the end, which requires maintaining a clear /r/ before a fricative /ʃ/ and a final /t/. For non-native speakers, the quick transition from the stressed vowel to /r/ and then to /ɪ/ can be tricky, especially in connected speech where the vowel quality may reduce. Additionally, in non-rhotic dialects the /r/ may be less prominent, changing the perceived rhythm. IPA notes help: /ˈpɛr.ɪʃt/ vs /ˈpeə.rɪʃt/.
The word has regular stress on the first syllable and a clearly pronounced /t/ at the end in careful speech, not silent. Unlike some words ending in -ed where the /d/ or /t/ can be cognate with voicing, perished ends with a crisp /t/ sound. The vowel in the first syllable is not reduced strong; you’ll hear /ɛ/ in most dialects. Emphasize both syllables to avoid a clipped first syllable.
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US: /ˈpɛr.ɪʃt/ with a clear /r/ and relatively short vowel in first syllable; UK: /ˈpeə.rɪʃt/ or /ˈpɛr.ɪʃt/ depending on region; AU: /ˈpeər.ɪʃt/ with broader first-vowel diphthong and a crisper /t/; Rhoticity varies—US keeps /r/; UK often non-rhotic in many varieties, affecting the transition to /ɪ/; IPA references help distinguish.
Perished comes from the Middle English perischen, from Old French pereir (to perish), from Latin pereō (I perish, I am destroyed), from PIE root *per- meaning ‘forward, through, completely’. The verb form per“ish” has long conveyed the sense of destruction or dying, extending to nonexistence or ruin. The transition from “to suffer death” to “to cease to exist” is well-attested in early English writings; by Middle English, the sense had broadened to include things such as “perishing figures” in narratives and, later, metaphorical uses like “perishing hopes.” First known use in English dates to the 13th century in religious and maritime texts, with secular uses appearing in later centuries as vocabulary broadened to cover extinction and ruin in natural and metaphorical contexts.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "perished" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "perished" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "perished"
-hed sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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