How to pronounce avoid
Say it like uh-VOYD. Avoid has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (VOYD).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce avoid. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- uh
- VOYD
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Avoid pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- uhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- VOYDSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "oy" in boy.
American vs British pronunciation of avoid
American and British speakers say avoid in essentially the same way: /əˈvɔɪd/ in the US and /əˈvɔɪd/ in the UK.
British respelling: uh-VOYD.
What does avoid mean?
- stay clear from; keep away from; keep out of the way of someone or something“Her former friends now avoid her”
- prevent the occurrence of; prevent from happening“Let's avoid a confrontation”“head off a confrontation”
- refrain from doing something“She refrains from calling her therapist too often”“He should avoid publishing his wife's memories”
Where does avoid come from?
From Middle English avoiden, from Anglo-Norman avoider, Old French esvuidier (“to empty out”), from es- + vuidier, from Vulgar Latin *vocitāre < Vulgar Latin *vocitum, ultimately related to Latin vacuus.
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with avoid
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of avoid.
Questions about saying avoid
How do you pronounce avoid?
Say uh-VOYD. The American pronunciation is /əˈvɔɪd/. In British English it is /əˈvɔɪd/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in avoid?
Avoid has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (VOYD). Broken into parts: uh · VOYD.
Do Americans and Brits say avoid the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /əˈvɔɪd/ and the British form is /əˈvɔɪd/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.