How to pronounce deceive
Say it like dih-SEEV. Deceive has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (SEEV).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce deceive. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- dih
- SEEV
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Deceive pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- dihKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- SEEVSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of deceive
American and British speakers say deceive in essentially the same way: /dɪˈsiv/ in the US and /dɪˈsiːv/ in the UK.
British respelling: dih-SEEV.
What does deceive mean?
- To trick or mislead.“It feels painful to begin seeing clearly, that you’ve been deceived by the very people and institutions you trusted to guide you.”
Where does deceive come from?
From Middle English deceyven, from Anglo-Norman deceivre, from Latin dēcipiō (“to deceive; beguile; entrap”), from dē- (“from”) + capiō (“to seize”); see captive.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with deceive
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of deceive.
Questions about saying deceive
How do you pronounce deceive?
Say dih-SEEV. The American pronunciation is /dɪˈsiv/. In British English it is /dɪˈsiːv/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in deceive?
Deceive has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (SEEV). Broken into parts: dih · SEEV.
Do Americans and Brits say deceive the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /dɪˈsiv/ and the British form is /dɪˈsiːv/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.