How to pronounce suffocate
Say it like SUHF-uh-kayt. Suffocate has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (SUHF).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce suffocate. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SUHF
- uh
- kayt
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Suffocate pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SUHFSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "u" in cup.
- uhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- kaytGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of suffocate
American and British speakers say suffocate in essentially the same way: /ˈsʌfəˌkeɪt/ in the US and /ˈsʌfəˌkeɪt/ in the UK.
British respelling: SUHF-uh-kayt.
What does suffocate mean?
- To suffer, or cause someone to suffer, from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body.“Open the hatch, he is suffocating in the airlock!”
- To die due to, or kill someone by means of, insufficient oxygen supply to the body.“He suffocated his wife by holding a pillow over her head.”
- To overwhelm, or be overwhelmed (by a person or issue), as though with oxygen deprivation.“I'm suffocating under this huge workload.”
Where does suffocate come from?
The adjective is first attested in the 1420s, the verb in 1526; from Middle English suffocat(e) (“deprived of air, suffocated”), borrowed from Latin suffōcātus, the perfect passive participle of Latin suffōcō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying suffocate
How do you pronounce suffocate?
Say SUHF-uh-kayt. The American pronunciation is /ˈsʌfəˌkeɪt/. In British English it is /ˈsʌfəˌkeɪt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in suffocate?
Suffocate has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (SUHF). Broken into parts: SUHF · uh · kayt.
Do Americans and Brits say suffocate the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈsʌfəˌkeɪt/ and the British form is /ˈsʌfəˌkeɪt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.