How to pronounce squeamish
Say it like SKWEE-mish. Squeamish has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (SKWEE).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce squeamish. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SKWEE
- mish
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Squeamish pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SKWEESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- mishKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of squeamish
American and British speakers say squeamish in essentially the same way: /ˈskwimɪʃ/ in the US and /ˈskwiːmɪʃ/ in the UK.
British respelling: SKWEE-mish.
What does squeamish mean?
- Easily shocked, sickened or frightened; tending to be nauseated or nervous; oversensitive.“He might have made a good doctor, had he not been so squeamish at the sight of blood.”
- Averse or reluctant.
Where does squeamish come from?
Origin obscure. Likely a merger of earlier squeamous (“squeamish”), from Middle English squaimous, queimous, from Anglo-Norman escoimus, escoymous, of unknown origin; and dialectal English sweamish, sweemish (“faint, squeamish”), from sweam
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with squeamish
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of squeamish.
Questions about saying squeamish
How do you pronounce squeamish?
Say SKWEE-mish. The American pronunciation is /ˈskwimɪʃ/. In British English it is /ˈskwiːmɪʃ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in squeamish?
Squeamish has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (SKWEE). Broken into parts: SKWEE · mish.
Do Americans and Brits say squeamish the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈskwimɪʃ/ and the British form is /ˈskwiːmɪʃ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.