Pronunciation

How to pronounce “devise

“devise” is pronounced /dɪˈvaɪz/ (di-VYZ) in American English and /dɪvaɪz/ in British English, and /dɪˈvaɪs/ is also accepted — 2 syllables, stressed on “vaɪz”.
The sound

Say “devise” in 2 beats

Say it like this

devise

/dɪˈvaɪz/

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

2 beats
  1. vaɪzvaɪzstress
IPA (American)
/dɪˈvaɪz/
IPA (British)
/dɪvaɪz/
Also accepted
/dɪˈvaɪs/
Respelling
di-VYZ
Syllables
2 — dɪ-VAꞮZ
Stress
Stress the second syllable: dɪ-VAꞮZ. “vaɪz” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Part of speech
noun, verb
Difficulty
Pro — the sounds are ordinary, the rhythm is where it slips
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/dɪˈvaɪz/

British

/dɪvaɪz/

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

Meaning

What “devise” means

  1. noun

    a will disposing of real property

  2. noun

    (law) a gift of real property by will

  3. verb

    come up with (an idea, plan, explanation, theory, or principle) after a mental effort

    excogitate a way to measure the speed of light

Say it in a sentence

They will devise a simpler way to book the hall.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

5 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

devise”, answered

How do you pronounce “devise”?

“devise” is pronounced /dɪˈvaɪz/ (di-VYZ) in American English and /dɪvaɪz/ in British English, and /dɪˈvaɪs/ is also accepted — 2 syllables, stressed on “vaɪz”. Build it as dɪ-VAꞮZ, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “devise” have?

2: dɪ · vaɪz. The beat lands on the second, “vaɪz”.

Is “devise” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /dɪˈvaɪz/ (di-VYZ); British English says /dɪvaɪz/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “devise” mean?

As a noun: a will disposing of real property For example: “They will devise a simpler way to book the hall.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “devise”?

Stress the second syllable: dɪ-VAꞮZ. “vaɪz” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “devise” 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.