How to pronounce lift
Say it like LIFT. Lift 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 lift. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- LIFT
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Lift pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- LIFTSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of lift
American and British speakers say lift in essentially the same way: /lɪft/ in the US and /lɪft/ in the UK.
British respelling: LIFT.
What does lift mean?
- raise from a lower to a higher position“Raise your hands”“Lift a load”
- take hold of something and move it to a different location“lift the box onto the table”
- move upwards“lift one's eyes”
- the act of giving temporary assistance
- the component of the aerodynamic forces acting on an airfoil that opposes gravity
- the event of something being raised upward“an elevation of the temperature in the afternoon”“a raising of the land resulting from volcanic activity”
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with lift
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of lift.
Questions about saying lift
How do you pronounce lift?
Say LIFT. The American pronunciation is /lɪft/. In British English it is /lɪft/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in lift?
Lift is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: LIFT.
Do Americans and Brits say lift the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /lɪft/ and the British form is /lɪft/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.