How to pronounce spite
Say it like SPYTE. Spite 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 spite. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SPYTE
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Spite pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SPYTESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in time.
American vs British pronunciation of spite
American and British speakers say spite in essentially the same way: /spaɪt/ in the US and /spaɪt/ in the UK.
British respelling: SPYTE.
What does spite mean?
- feeling a need to see others suffer
- malevolence by virtue of being malicious or spiteful or nasty
- hurt the feelings of“She hurt me when she did not include me among her guests”“This remark really bruised my ego”
Where does spite come from?
From Middle English spit, a shortening of despit (whence despite), from Old French despit, from Latin dēspectum (“looking down on”), from Latin dēspiciō (“to look down, despise”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with spite
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of spite.
Questions about saying spite
How do you pronounce spite?
Say SPYTE. The American pronunciation is /spaɪt/. In British English it is /spaɪt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in spite?
Spite is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SPYTE.
Do Americans and Brits say spite the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /spaɪt/ and the British form is /spaɪt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.