How to pronounce gravy
Say it like GRAY-vee. Gravy has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (GRAY).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce gravy. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- GRAY
- vee
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Gravy pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- GRAYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
- veeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of gravy
American and British speakers say gravy in essentially the same way: /ˈɡreɪvi/ in the US and /ˈɡreɪvi/ in the UK.
British respelling: GRAY-vee.
What does gravy mean?
- A dark savoury sauce prepared from stock and usually meat juices; brown gravy.“A roast dinner isn't complete without gravy.”
- A pale sauce prepared from a roux with meat fat; a type of béchamel sauce.“There are few foods more Southern than biscuits and gravy.”
- Sauce used for pasta.
- To make gravy.
Where does gravy come from?
Sense of "pasta sauce" apparently seems to be from Italian dialect, especially Calabrian, differentiating tomato puree (salsa (“sauce”)) from cooked tomato sauce (sugo).
Words that rhyme with gravy
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of gravy.
Questions about saying gravy
How do you pronounce gravy?
Say GRAY-vee. The American pronunciation is /ˈɡreɪvi/. In British English it is /ˈɡreɪvi/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in gravy?
Gravy has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (GRAY). Broken into parts: GRAY · vee.
Do Americans and Brits say gravy the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈɡreɪvi/ and the British form is /ˈɡreɪvi/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.