How to pronounce waive
Say it like WAYV. Waive 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 waive. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- WAYV
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Waive pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- WAYVSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of waive
American and British speakers say waive in essentially the same way: /weɪv/ in the US and /weɪv/ in the UK.
British respelling: WAYV.
What does waive mean?
- To relinquish (a right etc.); to give up claim to; to forgo.“If you waive the right to be silent, anything you say can be used against you in a court of law.”
- To relinquish claim on a payment or fee which would otherwise be due.
- To release [a player] onto the waiver wire
Where does waive come from?
From Middle English weyven (“to avoid, renounce”), from Anglo-Norman weyver (“to abandon, allow to become a waif”), from Old French waif (“waif”), from gaiver (“to abandon”), ultimately of Scandinavian/North Germanic origin; see weyver.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with waive
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of waive.
Words that sound like waive
Questions about saying waive
How do you pronounce waive?
Say WAYV. The American pronunciation is /weɪv/. In British English it is /weɪv/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in waive?
Waive is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: WAYV.
Do Americans and Brits say waive the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /weɪv/ and the British form is /weɪv/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as waive?
Waive sounds the same as wave in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.