How to pronounce love
Say it like LUHV. Love 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 love. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- LUHV
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Love pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- LUHVSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "u" in cup.
American vs British pronunciation of love
American and British speakers say love in essentially the same way: /lʌv/ in the US and /lʌv/ in the UK.
British respelling: LUHV.
What does love mean?
- have a great affection or liking for“I love French food”“She loves her boss and works hard for him”
- get pleasure from“I love cooking”
- be enamored or in love with“She loves her husband deeply”
- a strong positive emotion of regard and affection“his love for his work”“children need a lot of love”
- any object of warm affection or devotion“the theater was her first love”“he has a passion for cock fighting”
- a beloved person; used as terms of endearment
Where does love come from?
Cognate with Scots luve (“love”), Saterland Frisian ljo, ljoo, ljoof (“dear, sweet”), Ljoote, Ljoowe (“love”), West Frisian leaf (“friendly, kind, cordial”), leafde (“love”), Dutch lief (“lovely, nice, sweet”), liefde (“love”), German lieb
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with love
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of love.
Questions about saying love
How do you pronounce love?
Say LUHV. The American pronunciation is /lʌv/. In British English it is /lʌv/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in love?
Love is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: LUHV.
Do Americans and Brits say love the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /lʌv/ and the British form is /lʌv/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.