How to pronounce sleeper
Say it like SLEE-per. Sleeper has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (SLEE).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce sleeper. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SLEE
- per
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Sleeper pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SLEESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- perKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "er" in butter.
American vs British pronunciation of sleeper
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: SLEE-puh.
What does sleeper mean?
- Someone who sleeps.“I'm a light sleeper: I get woken up by the smallest of sounds.”
- That which lies dormant, as a law.
- A spy, saboteur, or terrorist who lives unobtrusively in a community until activated by a prearranged signal; may be part of a sleeper cell.
- A railroad tie.
- A structural beam in a floor running perpendicular to both the joists beneath and floorboards above.
- A heavy floor timber in a ship's bottom.
- To mark a calf by cutting its ear.
Where does sleeper come from?
From Middle English sleper, equivalent to sleep + -er.
Words that rhyme with sleeper
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of sleeper.
Questions about saying sleeper
How do you pronounce sleeper?
Say SLEE-per. The American pronunciation is /ˈslipɚ/. In British English it is /ˈsliːpə/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in sleeper?
Sleeper has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (SLEE). Broken into parts: SLEE · per.
Is sleeper 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 /ˈsliːpə/ (SLEE-puh).