Pronunciation

How to pronounce “provide

“provide” is pronounced /pɹəˈvaɪd/ (pruh-VYD) in American English and /pɹəvaɪd/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “vaɪd”.
The sound

Say “provide” in 2 beats

Say it like this

provide

/pɹəˈvaɪd/

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

2 beats
  1. pɹəpɹə
  2. vaɪdvaɪdstress
IPA (American)
/pɹəˈvaɪd/
IPA (British)
/pɹəvaɪd/
Respelling
pruh-VYD
Syllables
2 — pɹə-VAꞮD
Stress
Stress the second syllable: pɹə-VAꞮD. “vaɪd” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Part of speech
verb
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/pɹəˈvaɪd/

British

/pɹəvaɪd/

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

Meaning

What “provide” means

  1. verb

    give something useful or necessary to

    We provided the room with an electrical heater

  2. verb

    give what is desired or needed, especially support, food or sustenance

    The hostess provided lunch for all the guests

  3. verb

    determine (what is to happen in certain contingencies), especially by including a proviso condition or stipulation

    The will provides that each child should receive half of the money

Say it in a sentence

The shelter tries to provide warm meals every evening.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

6 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

provide”, answered

How do you pronounce “provide”?

“provide” is pronounced /pɹəˈvaɪd/ (pruh-VYD) in American English and /pɹəvaɪd/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “vaɪd”. Build it as pɹə-VAꞮD, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “provide” have?

2: pɹə · vaɪd. The beat lands on the second, “vaɪd”.

Is “provide” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /pɹəˈvaɪd/ (pruh-VYD); British English says /pɹəvaɪd/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “provide” mean?

As a verb: give something useful or necessary to For example: “We provided the room with an electrical heater” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “provide”?

Stress the second syllable: pɹə-VAꞮD. “vaɪd” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “provide” 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.