How to pronounce sweep
Say it like SWEEP. Sweep 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 sweep. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SWEEP
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Sweep pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SWEEPSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of sweep
American and British speakers say sweep in essentially the same way: /swip/ in the US and /swiːp/ in the UK.
British respelling: SWEEP.
What does sweep mean?
- sweep across or over“Her long skirt brushed the floor”“A gasp swept cross the audience”
- move with sweeping, effortless, gliding motions“The diva swept into the room”“Shreds of paper sailed through the air”
- sweep with a broom or as if with a broom“Sweep the crumbs off the table”“Sweep under the bed”
- a wide scope“the sweep of the plains”
- someone who cleans soot from chimneys
- winning all or all but one of the tricks in bridge
Where does sweep come from?
From Middle English swepen, from Proto-West Germanic *swaipijan (unattested in Old English), from Proto-Germanic *swaipijaną.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with sweep
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of sweep.
Questions about saying sweep
How do you pronounce sweep?
Say SWEEP. The American pronunciation is /swip/. In British English it is /swiːp/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in sweep?
Sweep is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SWEEP.
Do Americans and Brits say sweep the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /swip/ and the British form is /swiːp/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.