How to pronounce shimmer
Say it like SHIM-er. Shimmer has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (SHIM).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce shimmer. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SHIM
- er
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Shimmer pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SHIMSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- erKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "er" in butter.
American vs British pronunciation of shimmer
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: SHIM-uh.
What does shimmer mean?
- A faint or veiled and tremulous gleam or shining.
- A measure of the irregularities in the loudness of a particular pitch over time.
- A thin electronic device that is fit inside a card reader, such as on automated teller machines (ATMs), or point-of-sale terminals (POS's), that acts as an intermediate interface between the chip on a chip-and-pin technology card and the chip reader of the machine, to allow one to clone the chip.
- To shine tremulously or intermittently; to gleam faintly.
- Of a mass of bees: to move their abdomens in a coordinated manner so as to produce a shimmering wave effect, thought to deter predators.
Where does shimmer come from?
From Middle English schimeren, from Old English sċymrian, sċimrian, sċimerian, from Proto-Germanic *skimarōną.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with shimmer
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of shimmer.
Questions about saying shimmer
How do you pronounce shimmer?
Say SHIM-er. The American pronunciation is /ˈʃɪmɚ/. In British English it is /ˈʃɪmə/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in shimmer?
Shimmer has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (SHIM). Broken into parts: SHIM · er.
Is shimmer pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead. The British form is /ˈʃɪmə/ (SHIM-uh).