How to pronounce prevent
Say it like prih-VENT. Prevent has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (VENT).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce prevent. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- prih
- VENT
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Prevent pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- prihKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- VENTSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
American vs British pronunciation of prevent
American and British speakers say prevent in essentially the same way: /prɪˈvɛnt/ in the US and /prɪˈvɛnt/ in the UK.
British respelling: prih-VENT.
What does prevent mean?
- keep from happening or arising; make impossible“My sense of tact forbids an honest answer”“Your role in the projects precludes your involvement in the competitive project”
- stop (someone or something) from doing something or being in a certain state“We must prevent the cancer from spreading”“His snoring kept me from falling asleep”
Where does prevent come from?
From Middle English preventen (“anticipate”), from Latin praeventus, perfect passive participle of praeveniō (“to anticipate”), from prae (“before”) + veniō (“to come”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with prevent
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of prevent.
Questions about saying prevent
How do you pronounce prevent?
Say prih-VENT. The American pronunciation is /prɪˈvɛnt/. In British English it is /prɪˈvɛnt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in prevent?
Prevent has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (VENT). Broken into parts: prih · VENT.
Do Americans and Brits say prevent the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /prɪˈvɛnt/ and the British form is /prɪˈvɛnt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.