How to pronounce ripe
Say it like RYPE. Ripe 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 ripe. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- RYPE
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Ripe pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- RYPESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in time.
American vs British pronunciation of ripe
American and British speakers say ripe in essentially the same way: /raɪp/ in the US and /raɪp/ in the UK.
British respelling: RYPE.
What does ripe mean?
- fully developed or matured and ready to be eaten or used“ripe peaches”“full-bodied mature wines”
- fully prepared or eager“the colonists were ripe for revolution”
- most suitable or right for a particular purpose“a good time to plant tomatoes”“the right time to act”
Where does ripe come from?
From Middle English ripe, rype, from Old English rīpe (“ripe, mature”), from Proto-West Germanic *rīpī, from Proto-Germanic *rīpijaz, *rīpiz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁reyb- (“to snatch”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with ripe
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of ripe.
Questions about saying ripe
How do you pronounce ripe?
Say RYPE. The American pronunciation is /raɪp/. In British English it is /raɪp/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in ripe?
Ripe is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: RYPE.
Do Americans and Brits say ripe the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /raɪp/ and the British form is /raɪp/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.