How to pronounce sphinx
Say it like SFINGKS. Sphinx 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 sphinx. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SFINGKS
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Sphinx pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SFINGKSSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of sphinx
American and British speakers say sphinx in essentially the same way: /sfɪŋks/ in the US and /sfɪŋks/ in the UK.
British respelling: SFINGKS.
What does sphinx mean?
- A creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal, commonly a lion.
- A person who keeps their thoughts and intentions secret; an enigmatic or impassive person.
- A mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx), formerly classified as a baboon, and called sphinx baboon.
- To decorate with sphinxes.“a marble sphinxed chimney-piece”
- To adopt the posture of the Sphinx.“A hot lion with a very bloated stomach … will adopt either a sphinxed or a squatting posture which takes some of the weight off its belly.”
- To be inscrutable, often through silence.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with sphinx
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of sphinx.
Questions about saying sphinx
How do you pronounce sphinx?
Say SFINGKS. The American pronunciation is /sfɪŋks/. In British English it is /sfɪŋks/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in sphinx?
Sphinx is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SFINGKS.
Do Americans and Brits say sphinx the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /sfɪŋks/ and the British form is /sfɪŋks/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.