Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

scar

/skɑɹ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.77 in modern English

Syllables
scar
IPA
/skɑɹ/
6
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A permanent mark on the skin, sometimes caused by the healing of a wound.

verb

To mark the skin permanently.

Transitive verb

verb

To form a scar.

Intransitive verb

verb

To affect deeply in a traumatic manner.

Transitive verb

noun

A cliff or rock outcrop.

noun

A rock in the sea breaking out from the surface of the water.

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Middle English scar, scarre, a conflation of Old French escare (“scab”) (from Late Latin eschara, from Ancient Greek ἐσχάρα (eskhára, “scab left from a burn”), and thus a doublet of eschar) and Middle English skar (“incision, cut, fissure”) (from Old Norse skarð (“notch, chink, gap”), from Proto-Germanic *skardaz (“gap, cut, fragment”)). Akin to Old Norse skor (“notch, score”), Old English sċeard (“gap, cut, notch”). More at shard. Displaced native Old English dolg, dolgswæþ, and wundswaþu (“scar”). Not related to scarify.

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /skɑɹ/
  • British English: /skɑː(ɹ)/

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Phrases

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce scar?
The recorded pronunciation is /skɑɹ/.
What does scar mean?
A permanent mark on the skin, sometimes caused by the healing of a wound.
Where does scar come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce scar

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “scar”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/skɑɹ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “scar”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “scar” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.