How to Pronounce Sniff

To pronounce "sniff", say SNIFF — one syllable, IPA /snɪf/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

sniff

Tap to hear · American accent

Accent

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Speed

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1

Syllable

5

Letters

/snɪf/

IPA

💡 Tip for remembering “sniff”

"sniff" is a single-syllable word — say it in one clean beat. It rhymes with stiff and whiff, if that helps it stick.

What does sniff mean?

noun

  1. An instance of sniffing.

    “She gave the flowers a quick sniff to check they were real.”

  2. A quantity of something that is inhaled through the nose

verb

  1. To make a short, audible inhalation, through the nose, as when smelling something.

    “I sniffed the meat to see whether it had gone off.”

  2. To say something while sniffing, for example in case of illness or unhappiness, or in contempt.

    “"He's never coming back, is he?" she sniffed while looking at a picture of him.”

interjection

  1. A short inhalation sound, sometimes associated with crying.

Hear “sniff” in real sentences

Real example sentences from Tatoeba (CC-BY) — tap to hear each one, or see it used on YouGlish.

Words that rhyme with sniff

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

stiffwhiffbiffquiffglyphriffgliffspifftiffziffgriffgriffe

Related words

snifflesnuffwhiffsnortsmelltrackfeeltrace

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "sniff"?▾

"Sniff" has one syllable.

What is the IPA transcription of "sniff"?▾

The IPA transcription of "sniff" is /snɪf/.

What does "sniff" mean?▾

Sniff: An instance of sniffing.

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