How to pronounce "smudges" in English
SMUD·ges
Primary stress: smud
Hear native speakers say smudges in context across real video clips
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “smudges”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
SMUD
Elevated pitch, sustained vowel length, and full acoustic clarity.
ges
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
Primary emphasis falls on the first syllable ("SMUD"). Raise your pitch and sustain the vowel length on this syllable while relaxing the surrounding syllables.
Common Pronunciation Traps & Learner Mistakes
The Trap: Avoid pronouncing every vowel with full acoustic weight. Non-native speakers often over-enunciate unstressed vowels.
How Native Speakers Say It: Only give full vowel clarity to the primary stressed syllable. Relax all unstressed vowels into a neutral, low-energy schwa (⁄ə⁄).
Connected Speech & Natural Conversational Flow
When "smudges" is followed by a word starting with a vowel, glide the final consonant into the opening vowel (e.g. "smudges is" sounds like "smudges-iz").
In natural sentences, avoid over-stressing "smudges" unless it conveys the core contrast or focal point of your message.
Authentic Spoken Quotes from Native Video Context
“got some smudges on his face and it was a lot of stuff like this and I would”— Harvard UniversityWatch clip
“It smudges. You can't control it perfectly, but when it works, when the light and the shadow”— TEDx TalksWatch clip
“in Orion have these smudges um silhouetted uh in front of the background nebulosity of the Orion”— StanfordWatch clip
“And these black smudges are where those individual samples fall in terms of their date range.”— Smithsonian ChannelWatch clip
“protect the CD surface from smudges Orient the CD so that its tracks run parallel to the slit at the opposite side of the tube once the CD is in the”— MIT OpenCourseWareWatch clip
“And those smudges we see in the night sky?”— TED-EdWatch clip
Practice Speaking “smudges”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
got some smudges on his face and it was a lot of stuff like this and I would
Hear it in context: “smudges”
89 clipsThe English word “smudges”. Phonologically, it consists of 2 syllables (smud · ges), with primary lexical stress placed on the 1st (initial) syllable (smud). Grammatically, “smudges” functions as a noun, verb and acts as an English heteronym where syllable stress shifts between noun (initial-syllable stress) and verb (second-syllable stress) usage. SayItVid indexes 89 authentic English video clips demonstrating how native speakers articulate “smudges” in natural connected speech across American (US: 8 sampled), British (UK), and Australian (AUS) accents, including verified broadcasts from Harvard University, TEDx Talks, Stanford.
Spoken Video Transcripts & Contextual Quotes (5 Verified Clips)
- 🇺🇸 USHarvard UniversityClip #1 · @12:35
“Marine Corps standard and should I be like a little tighter and you know he's got some smudges on his face and it was a lot of stuff like this and I would point out to these to these commanders that you notice yet actually got nothing”
- 🇺🇸 USTEDx TalksClip #2 · @13:42
“it. It smudges. You can't control it perfectly, but when it works, when the light and the shadow You can't control it perfectly, but when”
- 🇺🇸 USStanfordClip #3 · @10:13
“here's what they look like this is Orion again the Orion Nebula the young stars in Orion have these smudges um silhouetted uh in front of the background nebulosity of the Orion silhouetted uh in front of the background nebulosity of the Orion”
- 🇺🇸 USSmithsonian ChannelClip #4 · @2:12
“And we've got the date plotted along the bottom. And these black smudges are where those individual samples fall in terms of their date range. those individual samples fall in terms of their date range.”
- 🇺🇸 USMIT OpenCourseWareClip #5 · @4:07
“tube the foil side of the CD should be facing the inside of the tube this will protect the CD surface from smudges Orient the CD so that its tracks run parallel to the slit at the opposite side of the tube once the CD is in the run parallel to the slit at the opposite side of the tube once the CD is in the”
Definition & Meaning: “smudges”
- A blemish or smear, especially a dark or sooty one.
- Dense smoke, such as that used for fumigation.
- To obscure by blurring; to smear.
- To soil or smear with dirt.
Example Sentences (3)
- “There was a smudge on the paper.”
- “got some smudges on his face and it was a lot of stuff like this and I would”
- “It smudges. You can't control it perfectly, but when it works, when the light and the shadow”
Common Phrases & Collocations
Pronounce: “smudges”
- Syllables:
- smud · ges
- Primary stress:
- smud
- Hear it in context
- smudges
Synonyms: “smudges”
Hear words related in meaning to “smudges” in real video clips:
Words that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"smudges" has no true homophones in standard English — there are no other words with identical pronunciation. Unlike sound-alike pairs like there / their or peace / piece, "smudges" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about smudges
How many syllables are in “smudges”?
“smudges” has 2 syllables: smud · ges.
Where is the stress in “smudges”?
The primary stress in “smudges” is on “SMUD”. Listen for that stressed syllable in the clips above.
What does “smudges” mean?
A blemish or smear, especially a dark or sooty one.
How can I hear “smudges” used in real sentences?
This page has 89 real-world video examples of “smudges” with synchronized subtitles. Use Previous / Next (or ← / → keys) to hear each one at the exact moment it is spoken.
What is the most common pronunciation mistake when saying “smudges”?
Avoid pronouncing every vowel with full acoustic weight. Non-native speakers often over-enunciate unstressed vowels. Only give full vowel clarity to the primary stressed syllable. Relax all unstressed vowels into a neutral, low-energy schwa (⁄ə⁄).