How to Pronounce Perish

To pronounce "perish", say PER-ish — 2 syllables, IPA /ˈpɛɹɪʃ/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

perish

Tap to hear · American accent

Accent

If an accent sounds the same, your device is missing that voice — it falls back to the closest one.

Speed

Syllable by syllable — tap each one

Practice: Record & Compare

Record yourself saying perish, then compare with the target. Your audio stays on this device — nothing is uploaded.

Syllables

Letters

/ˈpɛɹɪʃ/

IPA

💡 Tip for remembering “perish”

"perish" has 2 syllables: per-ish. It rhymes with garish and parish, if that helps it stick.

Sounds exactly like: parish, parrish — easy to mix up when writing.

What does perish mean?

verb

To decay and disappear; to waste away to nothing.
To decay in such a way that it can't be used for its original purpose

Synonyms

decease pass away

Hear “perish” in real sentences

Real example sentences from Tatoeba (CC-BY) — tap to hear each one, or see it used on YouGlish.

Words that rhyme with perish

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

garish parish bearish warish fairish barish nightmarish squarish marish harish buresh cherish

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "perish"?▾

"Perish" has 2 syllables: per · ish.

What is the IPA transcription of "perish"?▾

The IPA transcription of "perish" is /ˈpɛɹɪʃ/.

What does "perish" mean?▾

Perish: To decay and disappear; to waste away to nothing.

Want the definition, translations into 8 languages, and read-aloud for full sentences?

Open “perish” in the full dictionary →