How to pronounce swell
Say it like SWEL. Swell 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 swell. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SWEL
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Swell pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SWELSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
American vs British pronunciation of swell
American and British speakers say swell in essentially the same way: /swɛl/ in the US and /swɛl/ in the UK.
British respelling: SWEL.
What does swell mean?
- increase in size, magnitude, number, or intensity“The music swelled to a crescendo”
- become filled with pride, arrogance, or anger“The mother was swelling with importance when she spoke of her son”
- expand abnormally“The bellies of the starving children are swelling”
- the undulating movement of the surface of the open sea
- a rounded elevation (especially one on an ocean floor)
- a crescendo followed by a decrescendo
- very good“he did a bully job”“a neat sports car”
Where does swell come from?
Cognate with Saterland Frisian swälle (“to swell”), West Frisian swolle (“to swell”), Dutch zwellen (“to swell”), Low German swellen (“to swell”), German schwellen (“to swell”), Swedish svälla (“to swell”), Icelandic svella.
Words that rhyme with swell
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of swell.
Questions about saying swell
How do you pronounce swell?
Say SWEL. The American pronunciation is /swɛl/. In British English it is /swɛl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in swell?
Swell is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SWEL.
Do Americans and Brits say swell the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /swɛl/ and the British form is /swɛl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.