How to Pronounce Smallpox

Smallpox is pronounced SMAWL-poks. The first part rhymes with 'Paul' or 'mall,' and the second part sounds like 'pocks' (as in the marks on skin). Say it as two clear syllables pushed together: SMAWL, then poks.

The first syllable gets the stress: SMAWL-poks. You say 'SMAWL' louder and longer, then drop your voice for the 'poks' part. A common mistake is stressing the second syllable instead, but that's not correct.

Yes! The word breaks into two syllables: small-pox. It's really just two simple English words joined together—'small' and 'pox.' That makes it easier to remember how to say it.

Smallpox is simply the name of a disease. The word comes from the fact that the disease causes marks or bumps on the skin, and people called them 'pox.' The 'small' part helped distinguish it from other similar conditions. It's a straightforward descriptive name.

'Pox' is an older English word that refers to marks, bumps, or sores on the skin. You might hear it in other disease names too, like 'chickenpox.' In 'smallpox,' the 'pox' describes the skin marks that are the main sign of the disease.

Yes! You'll see 'pox' in other disease names like chickenpox and monkeypox. All these words follow the same pattern: a descriptive word plus 'pox.' Understanding that 'pox' means skin marks helps you understand what all these disease names have in common.

Here's an example: 'My grandmother learned about smallpox in her history class.' Another way: 'The word smallpox appears often in medical history books.' These sentences use the word as a simple noun to name the disease without giving any medical information about it.

Some people say small-POX instead of SMALL-pox, putting the stress on the second syllable. Others might say 'small-pocks' with an extra 's' sound at the end. The correct way is SMALL-poks, with a strong stress on the first syllable and just one 'poks' sound.