Pronunciation

How to pronounce “drive

“drive” is pronounced /dɹaɪv/ (DRYV) — one syllable.
The sound

Say “drive” in one beat

Say it like this

drive

/dɹaɪv/

The voice you hear here is American; a British voice is available in the app's settings.

1 beat
  1. drivedɹaɪv
IPA (American)
/dɹaɪv/
IPA (British)
/dɹaɪv/
Respelling
DRYV
Syllables
1 — drive
Stress
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /dɹaɪv/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Part of speech
noun, verb
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Meaning

What “drive” means

  1. noun

    the act of applying force to propel something

    after reaching the desired velocity the drive is cut off

  2. noun

    a mechanism by which force or power is transmitted in a machine

    a variable speed drive permitted operation through a range of speeds

  3. noun

    a series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end

    he supported populist campaigns

Say it in a sentence

It takes about two hours to drive to the coast.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

4 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

drive”, answered

How do you pronounce “drive”?

“drive” is pronounced /dɹaɪv/ (DRYV) — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /dɹaɪv/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.

How many syllables does “drive” have?

One, despite the 2 vowel letters in the spelling. The whole word is /dɹaɪv/ — a single beat.

What does “drive” mean?

As a noun: the act of applying force to propel something For example: “after reaching the desired velocity the drive is cut off” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “drive”?

One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /dɹaɪv/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.

Practise this word

Now say “drive” 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.