How to pronounce “smaller”
Say “smaller” in 2 beats
smaller
/ˈsmɔlɚ/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /smɔːlə/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- smalsmɔstress
- lerlɚ
- IPA (American)
- /ˈsmɔlɚ/
- IPA (British)
- /smɔːlə/
- Respelling
- SMAW-luh
- Syllables
- 2 — SMAL-ler
- Stress
- Stress the first syllable: SMAL-ler. “smal” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
- Part of speech
- adjective
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
/ˈsmɔlɚ/
/smɔːlə/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “smaller” means
- adjective
small or little relative to something else
- adjective
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
“a little dining room”
- adjective
limited in size or scope
“a small business”
Say it in a sentence
“They moved into a smaller apartment after the kids left.”“smaller”, answered
How do you pronounce “smaller”?
“smaller” is pronounced /ˈsmɔlɚ/ (SMAW-luh) in American English and /smɔːlə/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “smal”. Build it as SMAL-ler, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “smaller” have?
2: smal · ler. The beat lands on the first, “smal”.
Is “smaller” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ˈsmɔlɚ/ (SMAW-luh); British English says /smɔːlə/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “smaller” mean?
As an adjective: small or little relative to something else For example: “They moved into a smaller apartment after the kids left.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “smaller”?
Stress the first syllable: SMAL-ler. “smal” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Now say “smaller” and see every sound
Record it once and sayit lines your audio up against the target sound by sound — what landed, what slipped, and what it sounded like instead.