How to pronounce delve
Say it like DELV. Delve 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 delve. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- DELV
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Delve pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- DELVSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
American vs British pronunciation of delve
American and British speakers say delve in essentially the same way: /dɛlv/ in the US and /dɛlv/ in the UK.
British respelling: DELV.
What does delve mean?
- To dig into the ground, especially with a shovel.
- To dig; to excavate.
- To search thoroughly and carefully for information, research, dig into, penetrate, fathom, trace out
Where does delve come from?
From Middle English delven, from Old English delfan (“to dig, dig out, burrow, bury”), from Proto-Germanic *delbaną (“to dig”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰelbʰ- (“to dig”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with delve
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of delve.
Questions about saying delve
How do you pronounce delve?
Say DELV. The American pronunciation is /dɛlv/. In British English it is /dɛlv/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in delve?
Delve is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: DELV.
Do Americans and Brits say delve the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /dɛlv/ and the British form is /dɛlv/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.