How to pronounce nimble
Say it like NIM-bul. Nimble has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (NIM).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce nimble. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- NIM
- bul
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Nimble pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- NIMSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- bulKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of nimble
American and British speakers say nimble in essentially the same way: /ˈnɪmbəl/ in the US and /ˈnɪmbəl/ in the UK.
British respelling: NIM-bul.
What does nimble mean?
- Adept at taking or grasping.“nimble fingers”
- Quick and light in movement or action.“He was too nimble for the assailant and easily escaped his grasp.”
- Quickwitted and alert.“He has a nimble mind and can improvise in any situation.”
- To move nimbly.
Where does nimble come from?
With intrusive -b-, inherited from Middle English nymyl, nemel, nemyll, nymell (“agile, quick, ready, able, capable”), a merger of Old English nǣmel (“receptive, quick to grasp”) and Old English numol (“able to take, capable of holding”), b
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with nimble
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of nimble.
Questions about saying nimble
How do you pronounce nimble?
Say NIM-bul. The American pronunciation is /ˈnɪmbəl/. In British English it is /ˈnɪmbəl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in nimble?
Nimble has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (NIM). Broken into parts: NIM · bul.
Do Americans and Brits say nimble the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈnɪmbəl/ and the British form is /ˈnɪmbəl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.