How to pronounce smile
Say it like SMYLE. Smile 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 smile. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SMYLE
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Smile pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SMYLESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in time.
American vs British pronunciation of smile
American and British speakers say smile in essentially the same way: /smaɪl/ in the US and /smaɪl/ in the UK.
British respelling: SMYLE.
What does smile mean?
- a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement
- change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
- express with a smile“She smiled her thanks”
Where does smile come from?
Cognate with Danish smile, Swedish smila, Faroese smíla (“to smile”); also Saterland Frisian smielje (“to smile”), Low German smielen (“to smile”), Dutch smuilen (“to smile”), Middle High German smielen (“to smile”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with smile
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of smile.
Questions about saying smile
How do you pronounce smile?
Say SMYLE. The American pronunciation is /smaɪl/. In British English it is /smaɪl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in smile?
Smile is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SMYLE.
Do Americans and Brits say smile the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /smaɪl/ and the British form is /smaɪl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.