How to pronounce jive
Say it like JYVE. Jive is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
- JYVE
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Jive pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- JYVESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in time.
American vs British pronunciation of jive
American and British speakers say jive in essentially the same way: /dʒaɪv/ in the US and /dʒaɪv/ in the UK.
British respelling: JYVE.
What does jive mean?
- To deceive; to be deceptive.“Don’t try to jive me! I know where you were last night!”
- To dance, originally to jive or swing music; later, to jazz, rock and roll, rhythm and blues, disco, etc.
- To speak in jive (jazz or hipster slang).
- A dance style popular in the 1940–50s.
- Swing, a style of jazz music.
- A slang associated with jazz musicians; hepcat patois or hipster jargon.
- To jibe: to accord, to agree.
Where does jive come from?
Unknown. Slang attested in African-American and rural American culture.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with jive
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of jive.
Questions about saying jive
How do you pronounce jive?
Say JYVE. The American pronunciation is /dʒaɪv/. In British English it is /dʒaɪv/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in jive?
Jive is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: JYVE.
Do Americans and Brits say jive the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /dʒaɪv/ and the British form is /dʒaɪv/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.