How to pronounce river
Say it like RIV-er. River has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (RIV).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce river. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- RIV
- er
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
River pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- RIVSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- erKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "er" in butter.
American vs British pronunciation of river
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: RIV-uh.
What does river mean?
- a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)“the river was navigable for 50 miles”
Where does river come from?
From Middle English ryver, from Anglo-Norman rivere, from Early Medieval Latin rīpāria (“littoral, riverbank”), from Latin rīpārius (“of a riverbank”), from Latin rīpa (“river bank”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁reyp- (“to scratch, tear, cut”).
Words that rhyme with river
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of river.
Questions about saying river
How do you pronounce river?
Say RIV-er. The American pronunciation is /ˈrɪvɚ/. In British English it is /ˈrɪvə/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in river?
River has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (RIV). Broken into parts: RIV · er.
Is river pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead. The British form is /ˈrɪvə/ (RIV-uh).