How to pronounce steamboats
Say it like STEEM-bohts. Steamboats has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (STEEM).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce steamboats. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- STEEM
- bohts
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Steamboats pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- STEEMSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- bohtsGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "o" in go.
American vs British pronunciation of steamboats
- The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh".
British respelling: STEEM-bohts.
What does steamboats mean?
Where does steamboats come from?
Perhaps from Steamboat Willie, rhyming slang for silly, or perhaps from a stereotype of steamboat passengers getting drunk.
Questions about saying steamboats
How do you pronounce steamboats?
Say STEEM-bohts. The American pronunciation is /ˈstimˌboʊts/. In British English it is /ˈstiːmˌbəʊts/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in steamboats?
Steamboats has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (STEEM). Broken into parts: STEEM · bohts.
Is steamboats 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 /ˈstiːmˌbəʊts/ (STEEM-bohts).