How to pronounce travesty
Say it like TRAV-uh-stee. Travesty has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (TRAV).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce travesty. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- TRAV
- uh
- stee
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Travesty pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- TRAVSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
- uhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- steeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of travesty
American and British speakers say travesty in essentially the same way: /ˈtrævəsti/ in the US and /ˈtrævəsti/ in the UK.
British respelling: TRAV-uh-stee.
What does travesty mean?
- An absurd, grotesque, misrepresentative or grossly inferior likeness or imitation.“A battlefield trial is a travesty of justice.”
- A pastiche, parody, or stylistic imitation; a burlesque literary or artistic imitation (typically of a more serious work).
- An appalling event, situation or outcome (especially in relation to another outcome to which it is grossly inferior).
- To make a travesty of; to parody.
Where does travesty come from?
From French travesti (“disguised, burlesqued”), past participle of travestir (“to disguise”), borrowed from Italian travestire (“to dress up, disguise”), from tra- (“across”) + vestire (“to dress”), from Latin vestiō (“to clothe, dress”), f
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying travesty
How do you pronounce travesty?
Say TRAV-uh-stee. The American pronunciation is /ˈtrævəsti/. In British English it is /ˈtrævəsti/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in travesty?
Travesty has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (TRAV). Broken into parts: TRAV · uh · stee.
Do Americans and Brits say travesty the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈtrævəsti/ and the British form is /ˈtrævəsti/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.