How to pronounce ravel
Say it like RAV-ul. Ravel has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (RAV).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce ravel. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- RAV
- ul
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Ravel pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- RAVSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
- ulKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of ravel
American and British speakers say ravel in essentially the same way: /ˈrævəl/ in the US and /ˈrævəl/ in the UK.
British respelling: RAV-ul.
What does ravel mean?
- A tangled mess; an entanglement, a snarl, a tangle.
- A confusing, intricate, or perplexing situation; a complication.
- A thread which has unravelled from fabric, etc.; also, a situation of fabric, etc., coming apart; an unravelling.
- To entwine or tangle (something) confusedly; to entangle.
- Often followed by up: to form (something) out of discrete elements, like weaving fabric from threads; to knit.
- To unwind (a reel of thread, a skein of yarn, etc.); to pull apart (cloth, a seam, etc.); to fray, to unpick, to unravel; also, to pull out (a string of yarn, a thread, etc.) from a piece of fabric, or a skein or reel.
Where does ravel come from?
Ravel is a contranym having both the senses of tangling (verb senses 1.1, 1.2, 1.4.1, and 2.3; noun sense 1) and untangling (verb senses 1.3, 1.4.2, 1.4.3, 2.1, and 2.2; noun sense 2).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with ravel
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of ravel.
Questions about saying ravel
How do you pronounce ravel?
Say RAV-ul. The American pronunciation is /ˈrævəl/. In British English it is /ˈrævəl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in ravel?
Ravel has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (RAV). Broken into parts: RAV · ul.
Do Americans and Brits say ravel the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈrævəl/ and the British form is /ˈrævəl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.