How to pronounce lavish
Say it like LAV-ish. Lavish has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (LAV).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce lavish. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- LAV
- ish
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Lavish pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- LAVSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
- ishKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of lavish
American and British speakers say lavish in essentially the same way: /ˈlævɪʃ/ in the US and /ˈlævɪʃ/ in the UK.
British respelling: LAV-ish.
What does lavish mean?
- To give out extremely generously; to squander.“They lavished money on the dinner.”
- To give out to (somebody) extremely generously.“They lavished him with praise.”
- Expending or bestowing profusely; profuse; prodigal.“lavish of money; lavish of praise”
- Superabundant; excessive.“lavish spirits”
Where does lavish come from?
From Middle English laves, lavas, lavage (“extravagant, wasteful, prodigal”), from lavas (“excessive abundance”), from Old French lavasse, lavache (“torrent of rain”); possibly later conflated in some senses by Middle English laven (“to pou
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying lavish
How do you pronounce lavish?
Say LAV-ish. The American pronunciation is /ˈlævɪʃ/. In British English it is /ˈlævɪʃ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in lavish?
Lavish has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (LAV). Broken into parts: LAV · ish.
Do Americans and Brits say lavish the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈlævɪʃ/ and the British form is /ˈlævɪʃ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.