How to pronounce knife
Say it like NYFE. Knife 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 knife. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- NYFE
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Knife pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- NYFESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in time.
American vs British pronunciation of knife
American and British speakers say knife in essentially the same way: /naɪf/ in the US and /naɪf/ in the UK.
British respelling: NYFE.
What does knife mean?
- edge tool used as a cutting instrument; has a pointed blade with a sharp edge and a handle
- a weapon with a handle and blade with a sharp point
- any long thin projection that is transient“tongues of flame licked at the walls”“rifles exploded quick knives of fire into the dark”
- use a knife on“The victim was knifed to death”
Where does knife come from?
Cognate with Yola kunnife (“knife”), North Frisian knif (“knife”), Dutch knijf (“long pointy knife, poniard”), German Knifte (“rifle; thick slicebread”), German Low German Knief (“knife”), Luxembourgish Knäip (“paring knife”), Danish, Norwe
Words that rhyme with knife
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of knife.
Questions about saying knife
How do you pronounce knife?
Say NYFE. The American pronunciation is /naɪf/. In British English it is /naɪf/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in knife?
Knife is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: NYFE.
Do Americans and Brits say knife the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /naɪf/ and the British form is /naɪf/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.