How to pronounce twinkle
Say it like TWING-kul. Twinkle has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (TWING).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce twinkle. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- TWING
- kul
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Twinkle pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- TWINGSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- kulKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of twinkle
American and British speakers say twinkle in essentially the same way: /ˈtwɪŋkəl/ in the US and /ˈtwɪŋkəl/ in the UK.
British respelling: TWING-kul.
What does twinkle mean?
- To shine with a flickering light; to glimmer.“We could see the lights of the village twinkling in the distance.”
- To be bright with delight.“His shrewd little eyes twinkled roguishly.”
- To bat, blink or wink the eyes.
- A sparkle or glimmer of light.
- A sparkle of delight in the eyes.“He was a rotund, jolly man with a twinkle in his eye.”
- A flitting movement.
Where does twinkle come from?
From Middle English twinclen, twynclen, from Old English twinclian (“to twinkle”), equivalent to twink (“to wink; blink; twinkle”) + -le (frequentative suffix).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with twinkle
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of twinkle.
Questions about saying twinkle
How do you pronounce twinkle?
Say TWING-kul. The American pronunciation is /ˈtwɪŋkəl/. In British English it is /ˈtwɪŋkəl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in twinkle?
Twinkle has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (TWING). Broken into parts: TWING · kul.
Do Americans and Brits say twinkle the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈtwɪŋkəl/ and the British form is /ˈtwɪŋkəl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.