How to pronounce thief
Say it like THEEF. Thief 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 thief. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- THEEF
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Thief pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- THEEFSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of thief
American and British speakers say thief in essentially the same way: /θif/ in the US and /θiːf/ in the UK.
British respelling: THEEF.
What does thief mean?
- a criminal who takes property belonging to someone else with the intention of keeping it or selling it
Where does thief come from?
From Middle English thef, theef, þef, from Old English þēof, from Proto-West Germanic *þeub, from Proto-Germanic *þeubaz.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with thief
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of thief.
Questions about saying thief
How do you pronounce thief?
Say THEEF. The American pronunciation is /θif/. In British English it is /θiːf/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in thief?
Thief is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: THEEF.
Do Americans and Brits say thief the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /θif/ and the British form is /θiːf/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.