Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

snore

/snoɹ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.76 in modern English

Syllables: snore
IPA: /snoɹ/

5

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

1

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To breathe during sleep with harsh, snorting noises caused by vibration of the soft palate.

noun

The act of snoring, and the noise produced.

noun

An extremely boring person or event.

Informal

Example Sentences

"While you here do ſnoaring lie, / Open-ey'd Conſpiracie / His time doth take: / If of Life you keepe a care, / Shake off ſlumber, and beware. / Awake, awake."
"The lumpiſh husband ſnoar'd avvay the night, / Till coughs avvak'd him near the morning light."

Etymology

From Middle English snoren, fnoren (“to snore loudly; snort”), from Middle English snore, *fnore (“snore; snort”, noun), from Old English fnora (“snort; sneezing”), from Proto-Germanic *fnuzô, from Proto-Indo-European *pnew- (“to breathe; snort; sneeze”). Compare also Proto-West Germanic *snarkōn, Middle Low German snorren (“to drone”), Dutch snorren (“to hum, purr”). The change fn → sn in this word is regular, seen also in sneeze, from Middle English fnesen (see sneeze for more).

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: *pnew-, snoren, snore, fnora, *fnuzô

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /snoɹ/
British English: /snɔː/

Usage

Informal

Inflected Forms

snores (present, singular) snoring (participle, present) snored (participle, past) snored (past) snores (plural)

Derived Forms

antisnoring outsnore snorer snoringly unsnoring antisnore snark snorasaurus snoregasm snoreless snorelike snoreworthy

Phrases

snoring rail snore-fest

Synonyms

snooze snoozefest snore-fest saw wood snoring stertor saw logs

Rhymes With

for or your more before four war d'or door store floor anymore

Questions

How do you pronounce snore?: The recorded pronunciation is /snoɹ/.
What does snore mean?: To breathe during sleep with harsh, snorting noises caused by vibration of the soft palate.
Where does snore come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce snore

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “snore”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/snoɹ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “snore”.
Repeat and practice — Say “snore” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.