How to pronounce leaven
Say it like LEV-un. Leaven has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (LEV).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce leaven. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- LEV
- un
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Leaven pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- LEVSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- unKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of leaven
American and British speakers say leaven in essentially the same way: /ˈlɛvən/ in the US and /ˈlɛvən/ in the UK.
British respelling: LEV-un.
What does leaven mean?
- Any agent used to make dough rise or to have a similar effect on baked goods.
- Anything that induces change, especially a corrupting or vitiating change.
- Chametz.
- To add a leavening agent.“Yeast is used to leaven bread, making it rise during baking.”
- To cause to rise by fermentation.
- To temper an action, decision, attitude, characteristic, etc.
Where does leaven come from?
From Middle English levayn, borrowed from Old French levain, from Vulgar Latin *levāmen, a noun based on Latin levō (“raise”).
Words that rhyme with leaven
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of leaven.
Questions about saying leaven
How do you pronounce leaven?
Say LEV-un. The American pronunciation is /ˈlɛvən/. In British English it is /ˈlɛvən/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in leaven?
Leaven has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (LEV). Broken into parts: LEV · un.
Do Americans and Brits say leaven the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈlɛvən/ and the British form is /ˈlɛvən/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.