skin
/skɪn/
skin is pronounced skin (/skɪn/). Skin is the outer protective layer of the body in humans and other animals. It functions as a barrier against infection, regulates temperature, and conveys sensory information. In everyday use, “skin” can also refer to parchment or leather, or to the hide of an animal, and appears in idioms like “skin and bones.” This entry focuses on the single-syllable noun/verb with primary stress on the word itself.
Skin is the outer protective layer of the body in humans and other animals. It functions as a barrier against infection, regulates temperature, and conveys sensory information. In everyday use, “skin” can also refer to parchment or leather, or to the hide of an animal, and appears in idioms like “skin and bones.” This entry focuses on the single-syllable noun/verb with primary stress on the word itself.
- You may blur the short /ɪ/ into a fuller /ɪː/ or /i/; keep the vowel quick, centralized, and lax. - Don’t insert an extra schwa between /sk/ and /ɪ/ or after /k/; avoid elongating the vowel. - The /n/ at the end should be a light alveolar nasal; avoid trailing with a vowel sound or turning it into /ŋ/ in rapid speech.
"She scratched her skin after the sunburn."
"The leather skin of the bag felt rough to the touch."
"We need to skin the fruit before we eat it."
Pronounce it as /skɪn/. The initial cluster /sk/ is light and made with the tongue blade at the teeth ridge, followed by a short lax vowel /ɪ/ as in “sit,” and a final /n/. Keep it a single syllable with no extra vowel energy after the /n/. You’ll want a quick but precise transition between /s/ and /k/ through the tongue blade contact behind the teeth. Audio references: standard American English pronunciation is /skɪn/; UK and Australian alike share /skɪn/.
Common errors include inserting a schwa like /ə/ after /sk/ (s-kuhn) or prolonging the vowel to /iː/ as in “skinny.” Some learners also voice the /ɪ/ too strongly, making it sound like /skiːn/ or adding extra syllables. Correct by keeping the vowel short and lax /ɪ/, and ensuring only one /n/ at the end with a clean /t/ or /k/ transition before it. Practice with minimal pair drills: skin vs sin vs skinned (not a real word, but used for contrast) to lock the target.
Across US/UK/AU, /skɪn/ remains the core, with the vowel quality slightly different: US /ɪ/ tends to be a more centralized near-front vowel; UK /ɪ/ may be marginally shorter and tenser depending on speaker, while AU often mirrors US but with a slightly more centralized vowel and softer /k/ release. The final /n/ is typically alveolar in all. Rhoticity does not change this word since /r/ isn’t present. Overall, the pronunciation is very close, with minor shifts in vowel height and tenseness rather than core consonant changes.
Skin challenges include producing a quick onset /sk/ without a puff of air or extra vowel, and maintaining a short lax /ɪ/ in a single syllable without adding a vowel length. For non-native speakers, the tricky part is the shortness and crappiness of the /ɪ/ in constrained mouth positions, plus a clean nasal /n/ without a following vowel. Pay attention to the tongue-blade contact with the alveolar ridge for /s/ and /n/, and keep the jaw relaxed so the /ɪ/ remains short.
A useful keyword is “skin pronunciation IPA” to ensure you’re targeting /skɪn/ and not a lengthened form. The unique factor is the short lax vowel /ɪ/ within a tight monosyllable, requiring precise jaw and tongue positioning to avoid adding a vowel or elongating the sound. Look for pronunciation drills that emphasize maintaining a crisp /s/ to /k/ transition and ending with a clean alveolar /n/.
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- US: /skɪn/ with a relatively flat intonation; anchor the /ɪ/ in a slightly closer-to-central position and avoid lip rounding. - UK: slightly shorter, crisper /ɪ/ and a more forward tongue position; avoid overly tense mouth. - AU: often a more centralized /ɪ/ with softer /k/ release and a hint of vowel coloring; keep the vowel short and keep the final /n/ clear.
Skin comes from Old English skin(n) and skyn (dative sing. of skin). The word traces to Proto-Germanic skinną, with cognates in Gothic skinns, Dutch huid, and German Haut. Its earliest senses referred to the hide of an animal or the animal’s skin itself, extending metaphorically to human skin as a barrier. In medieval and early modern English, skin acquired idiomatic meanings (e.g., “to skin a cat” in jokes or metaphorical uses). Across centuries, the term broadened to include non-anatomical coverings (e.g., leather, outer layer of fruit or products) and entered common expressions about appearance and texture. The core semantic field focuses on the protective, permeable surface separating body from environment, with extended usage in dermatology and everyday description of touch and appearance. The word’s stability in short,-laden monosyllables made it a frequent component of idioms and collocations, reinforcing its place in basic vocabulary despite its surprisingly wide figurative use. First known uses appear in Old English translations of Germanic terms, solidifying as a basic yet polyvalent term in the English lexicon.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "skin" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "skin" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "skin"
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