How to Pronounce Surmise

To pronounce "surmise", say SURM-is-e — 3 syllables, IPA /sɜːˈmaɪz/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

surmise

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Accent

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3

Syllables

7

Letters

/sɜːˈmaɪz/

IPA

💡 Tip for remembering “surmise”

"surmise" has 3 syllables: surm-is-e. It rhymes with scrutinize and aggrandize, if that helps it stick.

What does surmise mean?

noun

  1. Thought, imagination, or conjecture, which may be based upon feeble or scanty evidence; suspicion; guess.

    “surmises of jealousy or of envy”

  2. Reflection; thought; posit.

verb

  1. To imagine or suspect; to conjecture; to posit with contestable premises.

Hear “surmise” 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 surmise

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

scrutinizeaggrandizeemphasizerecognizeactualizeanalyzereprisecompriselikewisedemiserisechastise

Related words

conjecturesuppositionguesshypothesisspeculationsuspectassumesuppose

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "surmise"?▾

"Surmise" has 3 syllables: surm · is · e.

What is the IPA transcription of "surmise"?▾

The IPA transcription of "surmise" is /sɜːˈmaɪz/.

What does "surmise" mean?▾

Surmise: Thought, imagination, or conjecture, which may be based upon feeble or scanty evidence; suspicion; guess.

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