How to pronounce sickle
Say it like SIK-ul. Sickle has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (SIK).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce sickle. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SIK
- ul
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Sickle pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SIKSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- ulKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of sickle
American and British speakers say sickle in essentially the same way: /ˈsɪkəl/ in the US and /ˈsɪkəl/ in the UK.
British respelling: SIK-ul.
What does sickle mean?
- An implement having a semicircular blade and short handle, used for cutting long grass and cereal crops.
- A sickle feather, any of the sickle-shaped rear feathers of the domestic cock.
- The crescent moon.
- To cut with a sickle.
- Of red blood cells: to assume an abnormal crescent shape.
- To deform (as with a red blood cell) into an abnormal crescent shape, to cause to sickle.
Where does sickle come from?
From Middle English sikel (also assibilated in sichel), from Old English sicol, siċel, from Proto-West Germanic *sikilu, itself borrowed from Latin sēcula (“sickle”) or sīcīlis (“sickle”).
Words that rhyme with sickle
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of sickle.
Questions about saying sickle
How do you pronounce sickle?
Say SIK-ul. The American pronunciation is /ˈsɪkəl/. In British English it is /ˈsɪkəl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in sickle?
Sickle has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (SIK). Broken into parts: SIK · ul.
Do Americans and Brits say sickle the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈsɪkəl/ and the British form is /ˈsɪkəl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.