2 syllables: Sur, mise. Stress on mise.
sur-MEYEZ
/sɚˈmaɪz/
Surmise is pronounced sur-MEYEZ (/sɚˈmaɪz/). It has two syllables (Sur-mise), with the stress on "mise". Surmise is a verb meaning to form a conclusion or opinion about something based on incomplete evidence. It implies an educated guess rather than certainty. In usage, you typically surmise what happened from clues or partial information, rather than asserting a proven fact.
verbSurmise is a verb meaning to form a conclusion or opinion about something based on incomplete evidence. It implies an educated guess rather than certainty. In usage, you typically surmise what happened from clues or partial information, rather than asserting a proven fact.
"From the muddy footprints, we can surmise that someone entered the house after dark."
"She could only surmise his feelings from the tremble in his voice."
"The committee will surmise the likely outcome based on early indicators."
Pronounce it as sər-ˈmaɪz in US English, with the primary stress on the second syllable 'maɪz' and a reduced first syllable. In UK and Australian varieties you’ll hear sə-ˈmaɪz, with a less prominent first vowel due to less rhoticity in careful speech. The final sound is the voiced /z/ as in 'zoo'. Keep the mouth around a mid-central vowel for the first syllable, then move to a high-front diphthong in the stressed syllable. IPA: US: sɚˈmaɪz; UK/AU: səˈmaɪz.
Common errors include pronouncing the first syllable with full vowel like 'seer-mize' or flattening the vowel to a plain /ə/ without stress, and misplacing the stress, saying sur-MIZE or sur-MIZE with inconsistent emphasis. Another slip is ending with a soft 'z' instead of a clear /z/ or ending on an /s/ like 'surmis.' Correct approach: use a reduced first syllable /sə/ or /sɚ/ and place primary stress on the /maɪz/ syllable: sɚˈmaɪz.
In US English, the first syllable is more rhotically reduced to /sɚ/ alongside a clear /maɪz/ in the second syllable. UK English often uses /səˈmaɪz/ with slightly crisper final /aɪz/ and less rhotic coloring in careful speech. Australian English aligns with UK patterns but can exhibit a more centralized first syllable and a slightly flatter vowel in some speakers. Across all three, the stressed syllable remains /maɪz/ with final /z/.
The challenge lies in the subtle vowel reduction in the first syllable and achieving the exact diphthong in the stressed second syllable: the /aɪ/ as in 'eye' requires precise height and glide. Additionally, maintaining the short, clipped first syllable while transitioning to the longer /maɪz/ can feel abrupt if you’re not used to reducing vowels in unstressed syllables. Practice the transition from /ə/ or /ɚ/ to /maɪz/ smoothly.
A unique aspect is balancing the unstressed first syllable with a reduced vowel (ə or ɚ) and preserving the exact /maɪz/ rhythm and final /z/. The sequence s-ə-ˈmaɪz requires steady, quick vocalization of the first syllable, then a strong, clear rise into /maɪz/. Ensure your mouth opens slightly for the /maɪ/ nucleus and closes into a crisp /z/ release.
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Surmise comes from the Middle English surmisen, which itself derives from the Old French suspeir/ surmise (to suspect, to think). The stem then traces to late Latin suspire, from which English borrowed ‘suspect’ ideas of hidden thought. The core notion has long been “to think or guess without full evidence.” In Early Modern English, surmise commonly meant to suppose or conjecture from partial information, often with a sense of risk or doubt. Over time, the word narrowed slightly to emphasize forming a belief based on plausible but incomplete evidence, rather than certainty. The pronunciation settled into / sərˈmaɪz / in most dialects, with stress on the second syllable as the verb form. First known uses appear in English texts of the 14th and 15th centuries, frequently in legal or illustrative prose where inference from limited data was discussed. The semantic evolution mirrors a broader trend in English toward hedged reasoning—expressing probability rather than definite knowledge—while retaining a precise denotation in both spoken and written form today.
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Words that rhyme with "Surmise"
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