How to pronounce rife
Say it like RYFE. Rife 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 rife. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- RYFE
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Rife pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- RYFESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in time.
American vs British pronunciation of rife
American and British speakers say rife in essentially the same way: /raɪf/ in the US and /raɪf/ in the UK.
British respelling: RYFE.
What does rife mean?
- Widespread, common, prevalent, current (mainly of unpleasant or harmful things).“Smallpox was rife after the siege had been lifted.”
- Abounding; present in large numbers, plentiful.“Red deer are rife in these woodlands.”
- Full of (mostly unpleasant or harmful things).“Many post-colonial governments were rife with lawlessness and corruption.”
- Plentifully, abundantly.“The snowdrops grow rife on the slopes of Mount Pembroke.”
Where does rife come from?
From Middle English rife, from Old English rīfe, rȳfe (“rife, abundant, frequent”), from Proto-West Germanic *rīb, from Proto-Germanic *rībaz (“generous”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁reyp- (“to tear (off), rip”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with rife
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of rife.
Questions about saying rife
How do you pronounce rife?
Say RYFE. The American pronunciation is /raɪf/. In British English it is /raɪf/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in rife?
Rife is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: RYFE.
Do Americans and Brits say rife the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /raɪf/ and the British form is /raɪf/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.