Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

sniffle

/ˈsnɪf.əl/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.21 in modern English

Syllables: snif-fle
IPA: /ˈsnɪf.əl/

13

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To make a whimpering or sniffing sound when breathing, because of a runny nose.

Intransitive verb

verb

To utter with a whimpering or sniffing sound.

Transitive verb

noun

The act, or the sound of sniffling; the condition of having a runny or wet nose, as from a cold or allergies.

Example Sentences

"Her dad heard her sniffling and passed her a handkerchief."
"He sniffled a pathetic apology."
"I sometimes have a sniffle during allergy season."

Etymology

From sniff + -le (frequentative suffix). Compare snivel.

Word Breakdown

Suffix: sniff

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈsnɪf.əl/
British English: /ˈsnɪf.əl/

Usage

Inflected Forms

sniffles (present, singular) sniffling (participle, present) sniffled (participle, past) sniffled (past) sniffles (plural)

Derived Forms

asniffle sniffler snifflingly sniffly

Frequently Paired Words

snivel snuff snuffle

Synonyms

snuffle snivel sniff blubber blub

Rhymes With

riffle biffle riffel piffle skiffle whiffle

Questions

How do you pronounce sniffle?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈsnɪf.əl/.
What does sniffle mean?: To make a whimpering or sniffing sound when breathing, because of a runny nose.
Where does sniffle come from?: From sniff + -le (frequentative suffix). Compare snivel.

How to pronounce sniffle

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