How to pronounce heave
Say it like HEEV. Heave 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 heave. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- HEEV
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Heave pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- HEEVSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of heave
American and British speakers say heave in essentially the same way: /hiv/ in the US and /hiːv/ in the UK.
British respelling: HEEV.
What does heave mean?
- To lift with difficulty; to raise with some effort; to lift (a heavy thing).“We heaved the chest-of-drawers up to the second-floor landing.”
- To throw, cast.“They hove rocks into the pond.”
- To rise and fall.“Her chest heaved with emotion.”
- An effort to raise something, such as a weight or one's own body, or to move something heavy.“We gave one more heave and the wall toppled over at last.”
- An upward motion; a rising; a swell or distention, as of the breast in difficult breathing, of the waves, of the earth in an earthquake, etc.
- A horizontal dislocation in a metallic lode, taking place at an intersection with another lode.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with heave
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of heave.
Questions about saying heave
How do you pronounce heave?
Say HEEV. The American pronunciation is /hiv/. In British English it is /hiːv/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in heave?
Heave is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: HEEV.
Do Americans and Brits say heave the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /hiv/ and the British form is /hiːv/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.