Pronunciation

How to pronounce “creative

“creative” is pronounced /kɹiˈeɪtɪv/ (kree-AY-tiv) in American English and /kɹiːeɪtɪv/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “iv”.
The sound

Say “creative” in 3 beats

Say it like this

creative

/kɹiˈeɪtɪv/

The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /kɹiːeɪtɪv/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.

3 beats
  1. creatkɹi
  2. ivstress
  3. etɪv
IPA (American)
/kɹiˈeɪtɪv/
IPA (British)
/kɹiːeɪtɪv/
Respelling
kree-AY-tiv
Syllables
3 — creat-IV-e
Stress
Stress the second syllable: creat-IV-e. “iv” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Part of speech
adjective
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/kɹiˈeɪtɪv/

British

/kɹiːeɪtɪv/

No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.

Meaning

What “creative” means

  1. adjective

    having the ability or power to create

    a creative imagination

  2. adjective

    promoting construction or creation

    creative work

Say it in a sentence

The most creative solution came from the newest member.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

7 sounds, in the order you say them

Each sound has its own page: where the tongue goes, what it is usually confused with, and words to drill it on.

Questions

creative”, answered

How do you pronounce “creative”?

“creative” is pronounced /kɹiˈeɪtɪv/ (kree-AY-tiv) in American English and /kɹiːeɪtɪv/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “iv”. Build it as creat-IV-e, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “creative” have?

3: creat · iv · e. The beat lands on the second, “iv”.

Is “creative” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /kɹiˈeɪtɪv/ (kree-AY-tiv); British English says /kɹiːeɪtɪv/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “creative” mean?

As an adjective: having the ability or power to create For example: “a creative imagination” It carries 1 other sense as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “creative”?

Stress the second syllable: creat-IV-e. “iv” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “creative” and see every sound

Record it once and sayit lines your audio up against the target sound by sound — what landed, what slipped, and what it sounded like instead.