How to pronounce cleave
Say it like KLEEV. Cleave 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 cleave. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- KLEEV
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Cleave pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- KLEEVSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of cleave
American and British speakers say cleave in essentially the same way: /kliv/ in the US and /kliːv/ in the UK.
British respelling: KLEEV.
What does cleave mean?
- To split or sever something with, or as if with, a sharp instrument.“The wings clove the foggy air.”
- To break a single crystal (such as a gemstone or semiconductor wafer) along one of its more symmetrical crystallographic planes (often by impact), forming facets on the resulting pieces.
- To make or accomplish by or as if by cutting.“The truck clove a path through the ice.”
- Followed by to or unto: to adhere, cling, or stick fast to something.
- Flat, smooth surface produced by cleavage, or any similar surface produced by similar techniques, as in glass.
- A cut (slash) or a cut location, either naturally or artificially.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with cleave
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of cleave.
Questions about saying cleave
How do you pronounce cleave?
Say KLEEV. The American pronunciation is /kliv/. In British English it is /kliːv/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in cleave?
Cleave is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: KLEEV.
Do Americans and Brits say cleave the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /kliv/ and the British form is /kliːv/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.