How to pronounce smoke
Say it like SMOHK. Smoke 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 smoke. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SMOHK
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Smoke pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SMOHKSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "o" in go.
American vs British pronunciation of smoke
- The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh".
British respelling: SMOHK.
What does smoke mean?
- a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas
- a hot vapor containing fine particles of carbon being produced by combustion“the fire produced a tower of black smoke that could be seen for miles”
- an indication of some hidden activity“with all that smoke there must be a fire somewhere”
- inhale and exhale smoke from cigarettes, cigars, pipes“We never smoked marijuana”“Do you smoke?”
- emit a cloud of fine particles“The chimney was fuming”
Where does smoke come from?
From Middle English smoke, from Old English smoca (“smoke”), probably a derivative of the verb (see below).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with smoke
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of smoke.
Questions about saying smoke
How do you pronounce smoke?
Say SMOHK. The American pronunciation is /smoʊk/. In British English it is /sməʊk/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in smoke?
Smoke is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SMOHK.
Is smoke pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh". The British form is /sməʊk/ (SMOHK).