How to pronounce rive
Say it like RYVE. Rive 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 rive. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- RYVE
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Rive pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- RYVESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in time.
American vs British pronunciation of rive
American and British speakers say rive in essentially the same way: /raɪv/ in the US and /raɪv/ in the UK.
British respelling: RYVE.
What does rive mean?
- To tear apart by force; to rend; to split; to cleave.
- To break apart; to split.
- To burst open; explode; discharge.
- A place torn; a rent; a rift.
- A bank or shore.
Where does rive come from?
Cognate with Danish rive (“to tear”), Old Frisian rīva (“to tear”), Old English ārǣfan (“to let loose, unwrap”), Old Norse ript (“breach of contract, rift”), Norwegian Bokmål rive (“to tear”), Swedish riva (”to tear”) and Albanian rrip (“belt, rope”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with rive
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of rive.
Questions about saying rive
How do you pronounce rive?
Say RYVE. The American pronunciation is /raɪv/. In British English it is /raɪv/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in rive?
Rive is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: RYVE.
Do Americans and Brits say rive the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /raɪv/ and the British form is /raɪv/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.