How to pronounce starve
Say it like STARV. Starve 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 starve. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- STARV
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Starve pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- STARVSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ah" in father.
American vs British pronunciation of starve
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: STAHV.
What does starve mean?
- be hungry; go without food“Let's eat--I'm starving!”
- die of food deprivation“The political prisoners starved to death”“Many famished in the countryside during the drought”
- deprive of food“They starved the prisoners”
Where does starve come from?
From Middle English sterven (“to die, perish”), from Old English steorfan (“to die, perish”), from Proto-West Germanic *sterban, from Proto-Germanic *sterbaną (“to become stiff, die”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)terp- (“to lose strength,
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with starve
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of starve.
Questions about saying starve
How do you pronounce starve?
Say STARV. The American pronunciation is /stɑrv/. In British English it is /stɑːv/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in starve?
Starve is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: STARV.
Is starve 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 /stɑːv/ (STAHV).