How to pronounce “serve”
Say “serve” in one beat
serve
/sɝv/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /sɜːv/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- servesɝv
- IPA (American)
- /sɝv/
- IPA (British)
- /sɜːv/
- Respelling
- SURV
- Syllables
- 1 — serve
- Stress
- One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /sɝv/ 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
/sɝv/
/sɜːv/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “serve” means
- noun
(sports) a stroke that puts the ball in play
“his powerful serves won the game”
- verb
serve a purpose, role, or function
“The tree stump serves as a table”
- verb
do duty or hold offices; serve in a specific function
“He served as head of the department for three years”
Say it in a sentence
“The little restaurant only serves lunch on weekdays.”“serve”, answered
How do you pronounce “serve”?
“serve” is pronounced /sɝv/ (SURV) in American English and /sɜːv/ in British English — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /sɝv/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.
How many syllables does “serve” have?
One, despite the 2 vowel letters in the spelling. The whole word is /sɝv/ — a single beat.
Is “serve” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /sɝv/ (SURV); British English says /sɜːv/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “serve” mean?
As a noun: (sports) a stroke that puts the ball in play For example: “his powerful serves won the game” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “serve”?
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /sɝv/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Now say “serve” 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.