How to pronounce livelihood
Say it like LYVE-lee-huud. Livelihood has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (LYVE).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce livelihood. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- LYVE
- lee
- huud
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Livelihood pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- LYVESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in time.
- leeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- huudGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "oo" in book.
American vs British pronunciation of livelihood
American and British speakers say livelihood in essentially the same way: /ˈlaɪvliˌhʊd/ in the US and /ˈlaɪvlihʊd/ in the UK.
British respelling: LYVE-lee-huud.
What does livelihood mean?
- A means of providing the necessities of life for oneself (for example, a job or income).“an independent livelihood; to make / earn / gain / win a good livelihood by the sweat of one's brow”
Where does livelihood come from?
From Middle English liflode, from Old English līflād (“course of life, conduct”), from līf (“life”) + lād (“course, journey”), later altered under the influence of lively, -hood.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying livelihood
How do you pronounce livelihood?
Say LYVE-lee-huud. The American pronunciation is /ˈlaɪvliˌhʊd/. In British English it is /ˈlaɪvlihʊd/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in livelihood?
Livelihood has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (LYVE). Broken into parts: LYVE · lee · huud.
Do Americans and Brits say livelihood the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈlaɪvliˌhʊd/ and the British form is /ˈlaɪvlihʊd/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.