How to pronounce serve
Say it like SURV. Serve 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 serve. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SURV
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Serve pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SURVSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ur" in nurse.
American vs British pronunciation of serve
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: SURV.
What does serve mean?
- serve a purpose, role, or function“The tree stump serves as a table”“The female students served as a control group”
- do duty or hold offices; serve in a specific function“He served as head of the department for three years”“She served in Congress for two terms”
- contribute or conduce to“The scandal served to increase his popularity”
- (sports) a stroke that puts the ball in play“his powerful serves won the game”
Where does serve come from?
From Middle English serven, from Old French servir, from Latin serviō (“be a slave; serve”), from Latin servus (“slave; servant”), which perhaps derives from Etruscan (compare Etruscan proper names 𐌔𐌄𐌓𐌅𐌉 (servi), 𐌔𐌄𐌓𐌅𐌄 (serve)), or from Pro
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with serve
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of serve.
Questions about saying serve
How do you pronounce serve?
Say SURV. The American pronunciation is /sɝv/. In British English it is /sɜːv/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in serve?
Serve is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SURV.
Is serve 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 /sɜːv/ (SURV).