How to pronounce “knife”
Say “knife” in one beat
knife
/naɪf/
The voice you hear here is American; a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- knifenaɪf
- IPA (American)
- /naɪf/
- IPA (British)
- /naɪf/
- Respelling
- NYFE
- Syllables
- 1 — knife
- Stress
- One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /naɪf/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
- Part of speech
- noun, verb
- Difficulty
- Pro — the sounds are ordinary, the rhythm is where it slips
Where “knife” goes wrong
- Often heard
“kuh-NIFE”
the k is silent: NYFE
What “knife” means
- noun
edge tool used as a cutting instrument; has a pointed blade with a sharp edge and a handle
- noun
a weapon with a handle and blade with a sharp point
- noun
any long thin projection that is transient
“tongues of flame licked at the walls”
Say it in a sentence
“Use a sharp knife and the onion will not make you cry.”“knife”, answered
How do you pronounce “knife”?
“knife” is pronounced /naɪf/ (NYFE) — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /naɪf/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.
How many syllables does “knife” have?
One, despite the 2 vowel letters in the spelling. The whole word is /naɪf/ — a single beat.
What does “knife” mean?
As a noun: edge tool used as a cutting instrument; has a pointed blade with a sharp edge and a handle For example: “Use a sharp knife and the onion will not make you cry.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “knife”?
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /naɪf/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Now say “knife” 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.