How to pronounce shelve
Say it like SHELV. Shelve 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 shelve. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SHELV
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Shelve pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SHELVSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
American vs British pronunciation of shelve
American and British speakers say shelve in essentially the same way: /ʃɛlv/ in the US and /ʃɛlv/ in the UK.
British respelling: SHELV.
What does shelve mean?
- To furnish (a place) with shelves; especially, to furnish (a library, etc.) with bookshelves.“to shelve a closet or a library”
- To place (something) on a shelf; especially, to place or arrange (books) on a bookshelf.“The library needs volunteers to help shelve books.”
- To have sex with (someone).
- Of land or a surface: to incline, to slope.
Where does shelve come from?
The noun is derived from etymology 1, verb sense 2 (“(obsolete) to hang over or project like a shelf”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with shelve
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of shelve.
Questions about saying shelve
How do you pronounce shelve?
Say SHELV. The American pronunciation is /ʃɛlv/. In British English it is /ʃɛlv/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in shelve?
Shelve is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SHELV.
Do Americans and Brits say shelve the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ʃɛlv/ and the British form is /ʃɛlv/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.