How to pronounce swelter
Say it like SWEL-ter. Swelter has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (SWEL).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce swelter. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SWEL
- ter
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Swelter 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.
- terKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "er" in butter.
American vs British pronunciation of swelter
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: SWEL-tuh.
What does swelter mean?
- To suffer terribly from intense heat.
- To perspire greatly from heat.
- To cause to faint, to overpower, as with heat.
- Intense heat.“The summer swelter did not relent until late in September, most years.”
Where does swelter come from?
From Middle English swelteren, frequentative form of Middle English swelten (“to die; faint”), from Old English sweltan (“to die”), from Proto-West Germanic *sweltan, from Proto-Germanic *sweltaną (“to die”), from Proto-Indo-European *swel-
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with swelter
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of swelter.
Questions about saying swelter
How do you pronounce swelter?
Say SWEL-ter. The American pronunciation is /ˈswɛltɚ/. In British English it is /ˈswɛltə/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in swelter?
Swelter has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (SWEL). Broken into parts: SWEL · ter.
Is swelter pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead. The British form is /ˈswɛltə/ (SWEL-tuh).