How to pronounce soothe
Say it like SOOTH. Soothe 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 soothe. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SOOTH
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Soothe pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SOOTHSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "oo" in food.
American vs British pronunciation of soothe
American and British speakers say soothe in essentially the same way: /suð/ in the US and /suːð/ in the UK.
British respelling: SOOTH.
What does soothe mean?
- To restore to ease, comfort, or tranquility; relieve; calm; quiet; refresh.
- To allay; assuage; mitigate; soften.
- To smooth over; render less obnoxious.
Where does soothe come from?
The semantic evolution of "to verify, prove the validity of" → "to comfort" (first attested in the late 17th century) comes from the notion of assuaging someone by supporting the truth of what they say.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with soothe
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of soothe.
Questions about saying soothe
How do you pronounce soothe?
Say SOOTH. The American pronunciation is /suð/. In British English it is /suːð/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in soothe?
Soothe is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SOOTH.
Do Americans and Brits say soothe the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /suð/ and the British form is /suːð/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.