How to pronounce breve
Say it like BREEV. Breve is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce breve. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- BREEV
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Breve pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- BREEVSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of breve
American and British speakers say breve in essentially the same way: /briv/ in the US and /briːv/ in the UK.
British respelling: BREEV.
What does breve mean?
- A semicircular diacritical mark (˘) placed above a vowel, commonly used to mark its quantity as short.
- A double whole note; a note twice as long as a semibreve.
- Any writ or precept under seal, issued out of any court.
- An equal mix of espresso and half and half cream.
Where does breve come from?
From Middle English breve, variant of bref, from Old French brieve, breve (feminine form of brief, bref), from Latin brevis (“short”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with breve
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of breve.
Questions about saying breve
How do you pronounce breve?
Say BREEV. The American pronunciation is /briv/. In British English it is /briːv/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in breve?
Breve is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: BREEV.
Do Americans and Brits say breve the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /briv/ and the British form is /briːv/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.