How to pronounce snipe
Say it like SNYPE. Snipe is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
- SNYPE
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Snipe pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SNYPESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in time.
American vs British pronunciation of snipe
American and British speakers say snipe in essentially the same way: /snaɪp/ in the US and /snaɪp/ in the UK.
British respelling: SNYPE.
What does snipe mean?
- Any of various limicoline game birds of the genera Gallinago, Lymnocryptes and Coenocorypha in the family Scolopacidae, having a long, slender, nearly straight beak.
- A fool; a blockhead.
- A shot fired from a concealed place.
- To hunt snipe.
- To shoot at individuals from a concealed place.
- To shoot with a sniper rifle.
- A cigarette butt.
- An end of a log remaining after timber has been cut away.
- An animated promotional logo during a television show.
Where does snipe come from?
* The verb originated in the 1770s among soldiers in British India, where a hunter skilled enough to kill the elusive bird was dubbed a sniper.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with snipe
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of snipe.
Questions about saying snipe
How do you pronounce snipe?
Say SNYPE. The American pronunciation is /snaɪp/. In British English it is /snaɪp/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in snipe?
Snipe is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SNYPE.
Do Americans and Brits say snipe the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /snaɪp/ and the British form is /snaɪp/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.