How to pronounce simple
Say it like SIM-pul. Simple has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (SIM).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce simple. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SIM
- pul
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Simple pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SIMSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- pulKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of simple
American and British speakers say simple in essentially the same way: /ˈsɪmpəl/ in the US and /ˈsɪmpəl/ in the UK.
British respelling: SIM-pul.
What does simple mean?
- having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved“a simple problem”“simple mechanisms”
- easy and not involved or complicated“an elementary problem in statistics”“elementary, my dear Watson”
- apart from anything else; without additions or modifications“only the bare facts”“shocked by the mere idea”
- any herbaceous plant having medicinal properties
- a person lacking intelligence or common sense
Where does simple come from?
Inherited from Middle English symple, from Old French simple, from Latin simplex (“simple”, literally “onefold”) (as opposed to duplex (“double”, literally “twofold”)), from semel (“the same”) + plicō (“to fold”).
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with simple
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of simple.
Questions about saying simple
How do you pronounce simple?
Say SIM-pul. The American pronunciation is /ˈsɪmpəl/. In British English it is /ˈsɪmpəl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in simple?
Simple has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (SIM). Broken into parts: SIM · pul.
Do Americans and Brits say simple the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈsɪmpəl/ and the British form is /ˈsɪmpəl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.