How to pronounce navigate
Say it like NAV-uh-gayt. Navigate has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (NAV).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce navigate. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- NAV
- uh
- gayt
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Navigate pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- NAVSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
- uhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- gaytGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of navigate
American and British speakers say navigate in essentially the same way: /ˈnævəˌɡeɪt/ in the US and /ˈnævɪˌɡeɪt/ in the UK.
British respelling: NAV-ih-gayt.
What does navigate mean?
- travel on water propelled by wind or by other means“The QE2 will sail to Southampton tomorrow”
- act as the navigator in a car, plane, or vessel and plan, direct, plot the path and position of the conveyance“Is anyone volunteering to navigate during the trip?”“Who was navigating the ship during the accident?”
- direct carefully and safely“He navigated his way to the altar”
Where does navigate come from?
First attested in 1588; borrowed from Latin nāvigātus, the perfect passive participle of nāvigō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from nāvis (“ship”) + -igō, from Proto-Indo-European *néh₂us (“boat”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying navigate
How do you pronounce navigate?
Say NAV-uh-gayt. The American pronunciation is /ˈnævəˌɡeɪt/. In British English it is /ˈnævɪˌɡeɪt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in navigate?
Navigate has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (NAV). Broken into parts: NAV · uh · gayt.
Do Americans and Brits say navigate the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈnævəˌɡeɪt/ and the British form is /ˈnævɪˌɡeɪt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.