2 syllables: Skew, ers. Stress on Skew.
SKYOO-urz
/ˈskjuɚz/
Skewers is pronounced SKYOO-urz (/ˈskjuɚz/). It has two syllables (Skew-ers), with the stress on "Skew". Skewers (noun) are thin, pointed rods, typically metal or wooden, used to hold pieces of food for grilling or roasting. The term also refers to the act of skewering. In cooking contexts, skewers are often used for kebabs. The plural form indicates more than one skewer or multiple skewered items.
nounSkewers (noun) are thin, pointed rods, typically metal or wooden, used to hold pieces of food for grilling or roasting. The term also refers to the act of skewering. In cooking contexts, skewers are often used for kebabs. The plural form indicates more than one skewer or multiple skewered items.
How to Pronounce Skewers
"We grilled marinated chicken on metal skewers over a hot flame."
"The chef prepared a colorful array of vegetables on skewers for the skewer station."
"Her kebabs were perfectly charred after a few minutes on the grill."
Skewers is pronounced /ˈskjuːərz/ in General American and /ˈskjuːəz/ in many British pronunciations. The primary stress is on the first syllable: SKYOO-erz (with the long u sound). Start with an initial cluster /sk/ followed by a rounded, palatalized /juː/ glide, then a schwa or /ə/ before the final /rz/ or /z/ sound. A helpful cue is to imagine saying "squeer" without the r-sound, then add the final z. Audio reference: listen to native pronunciations on Forvo or YouGlish with keywords ‘skewers’.
Common errors include misplacing the stress or mispronouncing the /juː/ as a simple /uː/ or /ju/ as /jʊ/. Another frequent issue is ending with a hard /s/ instead of a voiced /z/. To correct: emphasize the first syllable with /ˈskjuːərz/, ensure the /juː/ is a smooth palatal glide, and voice the final z. Practice with minimal pairs: skewers vs. skewer (singular) and skewers vs. sewers to feel the z. Listening and shadowing native lines helps fix these habits.
In US English, you’ll hear /ˈskjuːərz/ with a rhotic r and a pronounced z at the end. UK English often has /ˈskjuːəz/ or /ˈskjuːəz/, with a shorter r or non-rhotic tendencies in some regions; the final may slide toward a schwa before /z/. Australian tends to /ˈskjuːəz/ as well, with a bright /juː/ and a clearly voiced final /z/. Across all, the critical pieces are /sk/, /juː/, and the final /z or ɪz/; rhotics influence the vowel quality and stream. IPA can guide you to matching the local sound.
The difficulty lies in the initial /sk/ cluster blended with the /juː/ glide, which many learners treat as separate syllables. The /j/ sound after /sk/ should be tightly connected, forming /skjuː/ rather than /skju/ or /skjuər/. Additionally, final voicing in /z/ in plural form requires maintaining voicing in a trailing sound. Practice by saying /sk/ quickly, then glide into /juː/ and finalize with a voiced /z/. For a tip, try slow-to-fast syllable chaining: sk-juː-ers to skjuːərz.
Skewers is unique because of the consonant cluster starting with /sk/ followed by a palatalized /juː/ and the shifting final consonant from /ər/ to a voiced /z/ in plural. The combination creates a recognizable “skoo-yerz” sound that’s easy to mispronounce if you soften the /juː/ or devoice the final /z/. Focusing on the smooth /ˈskjuː/ onset, then a clear /ər/ or /ə/ leading into /z/ helps lock in the correct pronunciation.
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Skewer derives from the Middle English skewer, borrowed from Old French escuierre or estoc (a poke or spear), linked to the Latin scutella meaning a small dish or tray and ultimately to a Germanic root related to spear or stake. The plural form skewers appears in English by the 16th century to denote multiple skewers used in cooking or punning on the verb to skew. The sense evolved from an object (a pointed stake) to a cooking implement used to impale food. The word’s semantic shift aligns with kitchen and culinary contexts where a long, slender, pointed rod secures chunks of meat or vegetables for even cooking and presentation. Over time, skewers became standardized in stainless steel or wood, and the term broadened to include various culinary configurations such as satay sticks and kebab skewers. Today, skewers are ubiquitous in grills, rotisseries, and street-food stalls worldwide, with regional variants and names. First known usage in Middle English records appears in culinary glossaries, with subsequent literary and culinary texts cementing the term’s modern meaning as a utensil and the act of skewering.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Skewers" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Skewers"
-ers sounds
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