How to pronounce small
Say it like SMAWL. Small 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 small. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SMAWL
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Small pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SMAWLSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "aw" in law.
American vs British pronunciation of small
American and British speakers say small in essentially the same way: /smɔl/ in the US and /smɔːl/ in the UK.
British respelling: SMAWL.
What does small mean?
- limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent“a little dining room”“a little house”
- relatively moderate, limited, or small“a small business”“a newspaper with a modest circulation”
- (of children and animals) young, immature“what a big little boy you are”“small children”
- the slender part of the back
- a garment size for a small person
- on a small scale“think small”
Where does small come from?
Cognate with Scots smaw (“small; minor”), Yola smaale, small (“small”), North Frisian smaal, smeel, smääl (“narrow”), Saterland Frisian smäl (“narrow”), West Frisian smel (“narrow”), Alemannic German schmaal (“narrow”), Bavarian schmoi (“na
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with small
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of small.
Questions about saying small
How do you pronounce small?
Say SMAWL. The American pronunciation is /smɔl/. In British English it is /smɔːl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in small?
Small is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SMAWL.
Do Americans and Brits say small the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /smɔl/ and the British form is /smɔːl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.