simmer
/ˈsɪmɚ/verb, noun
simmer is spelled S-I-M-M-E-R: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 1.9 times per million words in written English, the 20,356th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, simmer means “To cook or undergo heating slowly at or below the boiling point” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in simmer?
| Letters | 6: S-I-M-M-E-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.9 times per million words; the 20,356th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is simmer?
Simmer appears 1.9 times per million words in written English, the 20,356th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce simmer?
- UK /ˈsɪmə/
- US /ˈsɪmɚ/
- Australia /ˈsɪmə/
Simmer has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-simmer.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Flame,_not_lame-Simmer.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with simmer?
6 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as simmer from its last stressed vowel (/ɪməɹ/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of simmer
- simmers present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- simmering participle, present
- simmered participle, past
- simber
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does simmer mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To cook or undergo heating slowly at or below the boiling point.
The soup simmered on the stove.
- 2
To cause to cook or to cause to undergo heating slowly at or below the boiling point.
Simmer the soup for five minutes, then serve.
- 3
To be on the point of breaking out into anger; to be agitated.
- 4
To remain angry with someone or something past the point of exhaustion; to resign oneself to holding a grudge, especially after some failed attempts to resolve a situation.
I tried to get through to him; all that's left for me to do is simmer.
- 5
To develop gradually, of an idea or plan.
noun
- 1
The state or process of simmering.
The kettle was kept on the simmer.
- 2
informalSomeone who plays a sim (a simulation game), particularly The Sims.
noun
- 1
slangA fan of the video game series The Sims.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Simmer in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | mijoter, bouillotter , faire mijoter |
| German | sieden, köcheln, simmern , schwelen |
| Portuguese | aferventar , aferventamento |
| Spanish | calentarse, entibiarse, cocerse a fuego lento, pocharse, escalfarse, cocerse a fuego manso |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does simmer come from?
From alteration of dialectal simper, from Middle English simperen (“to simmer”), of possibly imitative origin. First attested in the intransitive sense. The noun is from the verb. First attested in the late 15ᵗʰ century.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).