How to pronounce “leaves”
Say “leaves” in one beat
leaves
/livz/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /liːvz/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- leaveslivz
- IPA (American)
- /livz/
- IPA (British)
- /liːvz/
- Respelling
- LEEVZ
- Syllables
- 1 — leaves
- Stress
- One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /livz/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
- Part of speech
- noun, verb
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
/livz/
/liːvz/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “leaves” means
- noun
the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants
- noun
a sheet of any written or printed material (especially in a manuscript or book)
- noun
hinged or detachable flat section (as of a table or door)
Say it in a sentence
“The leaves start to turn orange early in October.”“leaves”, answered
How do you pronounce “leaves”?
“leaves” is pronounced /livz/ (LEEVZ) in American English and /liːvz/ in British English — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /livz/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.
How many syllables does “leaves” have?
One, despite the 3 vowel letters in the spelling. The whole word is /livz/ — a single beat.
Is “leaves” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /livz/ (LEEVZ); British English says /liːvz/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “leaves” mean?
As a noun: the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants For example: “The leaves start to turn orange early in October.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “leaves”?
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /livz/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Now say “leaves” 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.