How to pronounce evacuate
Say it like ih-VAK-yuh-ayt. Evacuate has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (VAK).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce evacuate. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- ih
- VAK
- yuh
- ayt
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Evacuate pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- ihKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- VAKSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
- yuhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- aytGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of evacuate
American and British speakers say evacuate in essentially the same way: /ɪˈvækjəˌeɪt/ in the US and /ɪˈvækjəˌeɪt/ in the UK.
British respelling: ih-VAK-yuh-ayt.
What does evacuate mean?
- move out of an unsafe location into safety“After the earthquake, residents were evacuated”
- empty completely“evacuate the bottle”
- move people from their homes or country
Where does evacuate come from?
First attested in 1526; borrowed from Latin ēvacuātus, the perfect passive participle of ēvacuō (“to empty out, evacuate”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix).
Questions about saying evacuate
How do you pronounce evacuate?
Say ih-VAK-yuh-ayt. The American pronunciation is /ɪˈvækjəˌeɪt/. In British English it is /ɪˈvækjəˌeɪt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in evacuate?
Evacuate has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (VAK). Broken into parts: ih · VAK · yuh · ayt.
Do Americans and Brits say evacuate the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ɪˈvækjəˌeɪt/ and the British form is /ɪˈvækjəˌeɪt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.