pitch
B1Neutral
Definition
Meaning
To throw or toss something; to set up something like a tent; the highness or lowness of a sound; a black sticky substance.
The level or intensity of something; a sales presentation; the angle of a roof; the field where sports like football or cricket are played; to try to persuade someone to buy or accept something; in business, to present an idea for approval; in music, the perceived frequency of a note.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word 'pitch' has one of the widest ranges of meanings of any English word, spanning concrete actions (throwing), sensory qualities (sound), materials (tar), abstract concepts (level of intensity), and specific domains (sports, business, music). This makes it highly polysemous. Context is crucial for disambiguation.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In British English, 'pitch' is the standard term for a sports field (e.g., football pitch, cricket pitch). In American English, 'field' is used for most sports (soccer field, baseball field). In business contexts, 'to pitch' an idea is equally common in both, but American English might use it more aggressively in sales. The substance 'pitch' (tar) is archaic in everyday use in both varieties.
Connotations
In both varieties, 'pitch' in a business context connotes a brief, persuasive attempt. In music/sound contexts, it is purely technical. As a verb for throwing, it is less formal than 'throw' or 'toss'.
Frequency
The business/idea presentation sense has seen a significant rise in frequency in the 21st century, especially in tech and startup culture. The sports field sense remains very high frequency in UK English and low in US English.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
pitch something (to somebody)pitch for somethingpitch against somebody/somethingpitch in (with something)pitch up (somewhere)pitch something at something/somebodyVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “pitch in”
- “make a pitch for”
- “queer someone's pitch”
- “pitch black”
- “at fever pitch”
- “wild pitch”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
A concise presentation of a business idea, product, or service to potential investors or clients. 'She delivered a compelling pitch to the venture capitalists.'
Academic
Used in phonetics/musicology to describe sound frequency; in sports science for the playing surface; in marketing for persuasive communication strategies.
Everyday
Commonly used for throwing a ball, setting up a tent, describing darkness ('pitch black'), or the steepness of a roof.
Technical
In aviation: the angle of an aircraft's nose relative to the horizon. In engineering: the distance between corresponding points on adjacent threads (screw) or gear teeth. In sailing: the up/down motion of a ship.
Examples
By Part of Speech
noun
British English
- The cricket pitch was very dry.
- Her voice rose to a shrill pitch.
- He gave a terrible sales pitch.
- The roof has a steep pitch.
American English
- The salesperson's pitch was very convincing.
- The pitcher adjusted the pitch's speed.
- They played soccer on a muddy field. (Note: US avoids 'pitch' for field)
- The aircraft went into a steep pitch.
verb
British English
- He pitched the ball to the striker.
- We need to pitch the tent before dark.
- She's pitching for the lead role in the play.
- Everyone pitched in to clean up after the festival.
American English
- The startup will pitch their app to investors next week.
- He pitched a no-hitter in last night's game.
- The comedian's joke totally pitched over the audience's heads.
- Can you help me pitch this proposal to the board?
adjective
British English
- It was a pitch-dark night with no stars.
- The road was covered in pitch-like tar.
American English
- The room was pitch black when the power failed.
- The old roof had pitch-covered shingles.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The boy can pitch the ball very far.
- It was pitch dark outside.
- We play football on that pitch.
- The sales manager made an excellent pitch to the new client.
- Can you help me pitch the tent?
- The pitch of her voice gets higher when she's excited.
- The startup is pitching for additional funding at the conference.
- The novel's tension reaches a fever pitch in the final chapters.
- The engineer calculated the pitch of the roof to ensure proper drainage.
- His speech was pitched perfectly at the academic level of the audience.
- The journalist queered the politician's pitch with an unexpected question about the scandal.
- The violinist possesses absolute pitch, identifying any note instantly.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a SALESMAN on a FOOTBALL PITCH. He has to PITCH (throw) a ball to start the game, then immediately gives his sales PITCH (presentation) to the crowd, his voice rising to a high PITCH (tone) with excitement.
Conceptual Metaphor
IDEAS ARE OBJECTS TO BE THROWN/PRESENTED (pitch an idea). EMOTIONAL INTENSITY IS HEIGHT (fever pitch). PERSUASION IS ATHLETICS (make a pitch, sales pitch). DARKNESS IS A SUBSTANCE (pitch black).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не переводите 'football pitch' как 'поле для питча'. Это 'футбольное поле'.
- В бизнес-контексте 'pitch' — это не 'бросок', а 'презентация' или 'предложение'.
- 'Pitch black' означает 'очень тёмный, кромешная тьма', а не 'чёрный как смола' в прямом смысле (хотя этимологически от смолы).
- 'To pitch in' значит 'присоединиться к усилиям, помочь', а не 'вмешаться'.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing 'pitch' (sound) with 'tone' (quality of sound).
- Using 'pitch' for any sports field in American English (use 'field').
- Incorrect preposition: 'He pitched *to* me the idea' vs. 'He pitched the idea *to* me'.
- Spelling confusion with 'ditch'.
Practice
Quiz
In which context would a British English speaker MOST LIKELY use the word 'pitch'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, a key difference is that British English uses 'pitch' for a sports field (football pitch, cricket pitch), while American English uses 'field' (soccer field, baseball field). The business/musical meanings are largely the same.
It is a phrasal verb meaning to join in and help with an activity, often by contributing effort or money. Example: 'If everyone pitches in, we can finish the cleaning quickly.'
Both involve projecting something towards a target. Metaphorically, you 'throw' (pitch) an idea to an audience in the hope they will 'catch' (accept) it. This conceptual metaphor is central to the word's semantic extension.
Pitch refers specifically to the perceived frequency of a sound—how high or low it is. Tone is a broader term that can include pitch but also refers to the quality, character, or emotional expression of a sound (e.g., a harsh tone, a friendly tone).