How to pronounce “derivative”
Say “derivative” in 4 beats
derivative
/dɚˈɪvətɪv/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /dɪɹɪvətɪv/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- dɚdɚ
- ɪɪstress
- vəvə
- tɪvtɪv
- IPA (American)
- /dɚˈɪvətɪv/
- IPA (British)
- /dɪɹɪvətɪv/
- Also accepted
- /dɚˈɪvɪtɪv/
- Respelling
- duh-I-vuh-tiv
- Syllables
- 4 — dɚ-Ɪ-və-tɪv
- Stress
- Stress the second syllable: dɚ-Ɪ-və-tɪv. “ɪ” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
- Part of speech
- noun, adjective
- Difficulty
- Pro — the sounds are ordinary, the rhythm is where it slips
American and British are not the same here
/dɚˈɪvətɪv/
/dɪɹɪvətɪv/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “derivative” means
- noun
the result of mathematical differentiation; the instantaneous change of one quantity relative to another; df(x)/dx
- noun
a compound obtained from, or regarded as derived from, another compound
- noun
a financial instrument whose value is based on another security
Say it in a sentence
“The derivative tells you how quickly the curve is rising.”The sounds inside this word
Each sound has its own page: where the tongue goes, what it is usually confused with, and words to drill it on.
“derivative”, answered
How do you pronounce “derivative”?
“derivative” is pronounced /dɚˈɪvətɪv/ (duh-I-vuh-tiv) in American English and /dɪɹɪvətɪv/ in British English, and /dɚˈɪvɪtɪv/ is also accepted — 4 syllables, stressed on “ɪ”. Build it as dɚ-Ɪ-və-tɪv, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “derivative” have?
4: dɚ · ɪ · və · tɪv. The beat lands on the second, “ɪ”.
Is “derivative” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /dɚˈɪvətɪv/ (duh-I-vuh-tiv); British English says /dɪɹɪvətɪv/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “derivative” mean?
As a noun: the result of mathematical differentiation; the instantaneous change of one quantity relative to another; df(x)/dx For example: “The derivative tells you how quickly the curve is rising.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “derivative”?
Stress the second syllable: dɚ-Ɪ-və-tɪv. “ɪ” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Now say “derivative” 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.