How to pronounce skim
Say it like SKIM. Skim is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce skim. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SKIM
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Skim pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SKIMSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of skim
American and British speakers say skim in essentially the same way: /skɪm/ in the US and /skɪm/ in the UK.
British respelling: SKIM.
What does skim mean?
- To pass lightly; to glide along in an even, smooth course; to glide along near the surface.
- To pass near the surface of; to brush the surface of; to glide swiftly along the surface of.
- To hasten along with superficial attention.
- A cursory reading, skipping the details.
- Skim milk.
- The act of skimming.
- Having lowered fat content.
Where does skim come from?
From Middle English skemen, skymen, variants of scumen, from Old French escumer (“to remove scum”), from escume (“froth, foam”), from Frankish *skūm (“froth, foam”), from Proto-Germanic *skūmaz (“foam”), from Proto-Indo-European *skew- (“to cover, conceal”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with skim
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of skim.
Questions about saying skim
How do you pronounce skim?
Say SKIM. The American pronunciation is /skɪm/. In British English it is /skɪm/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in skim?
Skim is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SKIM.
Do Americans and Brits say skim the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /skɪm/ and the British form is /skɪm/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.