sniff
/snɪf/verb, noun, interjection
sniff is spelled S-N-I-F-F: 5 letters and one syllable. It appears 2.8 times per million words in written English, the 16,228th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, sniff means “To make a short, audible inhalation, through the nose, as when smelling something; to smell (something)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in sniff?
| Letters | 5: S-N-I-F-F |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 2.8 times per million words; the 16,228th 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 sniff?
Sniff appears 2.8 times per million words in written English, the 16,228th 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 sniff?
- US /snɪf/
- /snəf/
Sniff has one syllable (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: En-au-sniff.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with sniff?
4 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as sniff from its last stressed vowel (/ɪf/):
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 sniff
- sniffs present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- sniffing participle, present
- sniffed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does sniff mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To make a short, audible inhalation, through the nose, as when smelling something; to smell (something).
The dog sniffed around the park, searching for a nice scent.
- 2
To say (something) while sniffing, such as in case of illness or unhappiness, or in contempt.
"He's never coming back, is he?" she sniffed while looking at a picture of him.
- 3
UKslangTo inhale drugs (usually cocaine) through the nose, usually in powder form.
- 4
To be dismissive or contemptuous of something; used with at.
This opportunity is not to be sniffed at.
- 5
To perceive vaguely.
- 6
To pry; to investigate in an interfering manner.
- 7
To intercept and analyse packets of data being transmitted over a network.
packet sniffer
noun
- 1
An instance of sniffing.
She gave the flowers a quick sniff to check they were real.
- 2
A quantity of something that is inhaled through the nose.
- 3
colloquialA brief perception, or tiny amount.
- 4
slangCocaine.
- 5
slangA toddler or young child.
interjection
- 1
A short inhalation sound, sometimes associated with crying.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Sniff in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | renifler , sniffer |
| German | schnüffeln, züngeln |
| Portuguese | farejar, fungar , cheirar, snifar , farejada, snifadela |
| Spanish | olfatear, olisquear, oliscar , esnifar, ñatear, inhalar |
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 sniff come from?
From Middle English sniffen, of imitative origin.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).