How to pronounce caveat
Say it like KAY-vee-at. Caveat has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (KAY).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce caveat. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- KAY
- vee
- at
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Caveat pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- KAYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
- veeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- atGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
American vs British pronunciation of caveat
American and British speakers say caveat in essentially the same way: /ˈkeɪviˌæt/ in the US and /ˈkeɪvɪˌæt/ in the UK.
British respelling: KAY-vih-at.
What does caveat mean?
- A warning.“There is at least one caveat in cultivation: you’ll have to stick to only one discipline, such as that according to Bhaiṣajyaguru, the Medicine Buddha.”
- A qualification or exemption.“He gave his daughter some hyacinth bulbs with the caveat that she plant them in the shade.”
- A formal objection.
- To qualify a statement with a caveat or proviso.
- To formally object to something.
- To lodge a formal notice of interest in land under a Torrens land-title system.
Where does caveat come from?
Learned borrowing from Latin caveat (“may he/she/it beware”), third-person singular present active subjunctive of caveō (“to beware of”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying caveat
How do you pronounce caveat?
Say KAY-vee-at. The American pronunciation is /ˈkeɪviˌæt/. In British English it is /ˈkeɪvɪˌæt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in caveat?
Caveat has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (KAY). Broken into parts: KAY · vee · at.
Do Americans and Brits say caveat the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈkeɪviˌæt/ and the British form is /ˈkeɪvɪˌæt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.