Pronunciation

How to pronounce “life

“life” is pronounced /laɪf/ (LYF) — one syllable.
The sound

Say “life” in one beat

Say it like this

life

/laɪf/

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

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

What “life” means

  1. noun

    a characteristic state or mode of living

    social life

  2. noun

    the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities

    he could no longer cope with the complexities of life

  3. noun

    the course of existence of an individual; the actions and events that occur in living

    he hoped for a new life in Australia

Say it in a sentence

She moved to the coast to start a quieter life.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

3 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

life”, answered

How do you pronounce “life”?

“life” is pronounced /laɪf/ (LYF) — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /laɪf/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.

How many syllables does “life” have?

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

What does “life” mean?

As a noun: a characteristic state or mode of living For example: “social life” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “life”?

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

Practise this word

Now say “life” 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.