How to pronounce fife
Say it like FYFE. Fife 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 fife. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- FYFE
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Fife pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- FYFESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in time.
American vs British pronunciation of fife
American and British speakers say fife in essentially the same way: /faɪf/ in the US and /faɪf/ in the UK.
British respelling: FYFE.
What does fife mean?
- A small shrill pipe, resembling the piccolo flute, used chiefly to accompany the drum in military music
- To play this instrument.
- Used instead of five in radio communications, especially NATO and ICAO, to avoid confusion with fire or nine.
Where does fife come from?
From German Pfeife (“whistle, smoking pipe”).
Words that rhyme with fife
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of fife.
Questions about saying fife
How do you pronounce fife?
Say FYFE. The American pronunciation is /faɪf/. In British English it is /faɪf/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in fife?
Fife is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: FYFE.
Do Americans and Brits say fife the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /faɪf/ and the British form is /faɪf/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.