adjective
not large in physical size
They live in a small apartment.
This box is small enough to carry.
Common phrases & grammar
small room · small town · small apartment · small business
a small + singular noun
small enough to + verb
American English
How to pronounce small
adjective · nounA1Very common word
SMAWL
/smɔl/
One syllable.
not large in physical size
What to listen for
“Small” is commonly pronounced /smɔɫ/. In some American accents, you may hear /smɑɫ/; both pronunciations are correct.
Common pronunciation/smɔɫ/
American dialect variant/smɑɫ/
Meanings & examples
adjective
not large in amount, number, or degree
I only need a small amount of sugar.
There is a small chance of rain.
Good to know
Use small with amount and number: a small amount, a small number.
Common phrases & grammar
small amount · small number · small chance · small difference
a small amount of + noun
a small number of + plural noun
adjective
not serious, important, or difficult to deal with
It was only a small mistake.
We had a small problem with the printer.
Common phrases & grammar
small mistake · small problem · small detail · small improvement
noun
a clothing size smaller than medium
Do you have this shirt in a small?
She usually wears a small.
Common phrases & grammar
a small, medium, or large
in a small
Useful expressions
polite conversation about ordinary topics, not serious or personal ones
We made small talk while we waited.
the small writing in a document, often containing important conditions
Read the small print before you sign.
Related words & forms
The spelling changes to smaller and smallest: both forms have two l's.