How to pronounce despise
Say it like dih-SPYZE. Despise has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (SPYZE).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce despise. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- dih
- SPYZE
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Despise 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.
- SPYZESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in time.
American vs British pronunciation of despise
American and British speakers say despise in essentially the same way: /dɪˈspaɪz/ in the US and /dɪˈspaɪz/ in the UK.
British respelling: dih-SPYZE.
What does despise mean?
- look down on with disdain“He despises the people he has to work for”“The professor scorns the students who don't catch on immediately”
Where does despise come from?
From Middle English despisen, from Old French despis-, stem of despire, from Latin dēspicere (“to look down upon, despise, scorn”), from dē (“down”) + speciō (“to look at”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with despise
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of despise.
Questions about saying despise
How do you pronounce despise?
Say dih-SPYZE. The American pronunciation is /dɪˈspaɪz/. In British English it is /dɪˈspaɪz/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in despise?
Despise has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (SPYZE). Broken into parts: dih · SPYZE.
Do Americans and Brits say despise the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /dɪˈspaɪz/ and the British form is /dɪˈspaɪz/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.