One syllable: Scourge.
skurj
/skɝdʒ/
Scourge is pronounced skurj (/skɝdʒ/). It has one syllable (Scourge), with the stress on "Scourge". Scourge (noun) refers to a person, thing, or circumstance that causes widespread and severe suffering or destruction. It can denote a punitive instrument or a powerful oppressor, historically used to mean a whip. In modern usage, it often describes something that afflicts or torments on a large scale, such as disease or war.
nounScourge (noun) refers to a person, thing, or circumstance that causes widespread and severe suffering or destruction. It can denote a punitive instrument or a powerful oppressor, historically used to mean a whip. In modern usage, it often describes something that afflicts or torments on a large scale, such as disease or war.
- Failing to release the /d/ properly before /ʒ/; it becomes /ʒ/ or /ʃ/ instead of /dʒ/. - Softening the /aʊ/ into a simpler /a/ or /ɔ/; keep the the high-front position of /aɪ/ but diphthongize toward /ʊ/ vicinity. - In non-rhotic accents, dropping the /r/ in the coda can blur the /rdʒ/ cluster; practice with and without rhotic linking. - To correct, practice the two-syllable break, then the full release, and finally a fast cadence with a single breath.
"The plague was a scourge that devastated populations across Europe."
"In the fairy tale, the tyrant ruled as a scourge over his people."
"The drought became a scourge, ruining crops and livelihoods."
Pronounce SCOURGE as two syllables with primary stress on the first: /ˈskaʊrdʒ/. The first syllable uses /skaʊ/ as in 'scow' with a diphthong similar to 'cow', followed by the /rdʒ/ cluster where /r/ is the American rhotic approximant and /dʒ/ is the voiced postalveolar affricate as in 'judge'. Keep the tongue high-mid for /aʊ/ and release into /rdʒ/ without a vowel between /r/ and /dʒ/. A quick audio reference would be the
Common errors: (1) Dropping the /d/ before /ʒ/ and saying /ˈskaʊrdʒ/ with a simplified /ʒ/ instead of /dʒ/. (2) Misplacing stress, saying /ˈskaʊrdʒ/ with weak first syllable or as /ˈskoʊrʒ/. (3) Mixing the /r/ into a rolled/ tapped version; in many accents you should maintain a smooth US /r/ after the /d/, so avoid a vowel before /dʒ/. Correct by: keeping /d/ clearly released, ensuring /ʒ/ remains post-alveolar, and sustaining a strong first syllable stress.
US: /ˈskaɚdʒ/ with rhotic /ɚ/ or /ər/ depending on speaker, the /ɑ/ becomes /a/ plus rhotacization; UK: /ˈskaʊdʒ/ or /ˈskauɹdʒ/ with non-rhotic /ə/ in some variants, and /dʒ/ remains. AU: /ˈskeə.dʒ/ often with a broader, flatter diphthong in /aʊ/ or /ə/ depending on region, still preserving /dʒ/. Core is the /skaʊ/ onset and the /dʒ/ coda; rhoticity in US can color the ending slightly. Pay attention to whether the speaker merges /r/ in non-rhotic dialects at the end.
The difficulty lies in the consonant cluster /rdʒ/ after a diphthong. The sequence requires a clean release from the /r/ into /dʒ/ without inserting a vowel and maintaining proper lip rounding for /aʊ/. Also, some speakers merge the /r/ with the following affricate, or simplify /dʒ/ to /ʒ/. Mastery comes from practicing the exact lip, tongue, and jaw transitions: start with /skaʊ/, then smoothly articulate /rdʒ/ with a single release.
Is the /r/ in Scourge always pronounced as a hard American rhotic /ɹ/, or can you reduce it slightly in some British or Australian contexts while keeping the /dʒ/ intact? In American English, you’ll typically articulate a clear /ɹ/ before the /dʒ/; in some UK/AU accents, a light or non-rhotic approach may affect the transition, but the /dʒ/ remains a distinct affricate.
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- US: maintain rhotic /ɹ/ and a strong /dʒ/; ensure /aɪ/ becomes /aʊ/ in /skaʊr/. - UK: often less rhotic; keep /r/ silent but maintain /dʒ/ as an distinct affricate; the diphthong can slightly broaden to /aʊ/ or /ɔː/. - AU: tends to keep /ɹ/ but can have wider vowel quality; maintain the same /dʒ/ release; work on linking from /skaʊ/ to /dʒ/.
Scourge comes from Middle English scourge, from Old French escorce or escurge, from Latin scurgere meaning to scourge, scrub, or whip. The root sc_ur_ is linked with scōrg and scūr, reflecting striking, cleaning, or tormenting actions. The word’s sense evolved from a physical instrument of punishment (a whip or lash) to broader metaphorical uses denoting anything that causes extended suffering or punishment. First attested in English in the 12th-13th centuries, scourge originally described a whip used for punishment, and later extended to disasters, diseases, or oppressive regimes that inflict widespread harm. The semantic shift toward “a cause of widespread suffering” solidified in the late medieval to early modern periods as persistent plagues or wars were described as scourges upon mankind. In today’s usage, scourge frequently appears in literary, historical, and journalistic contexts to emphasize the severity and pervasiveness of harm. The word retains a strong, urgent connotation, often paired with nouns like plague, famine, or oppression to emphasize scale and brutality.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Scourge" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Scourge"
-rge sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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