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Pronunciation

How to pronounce “violate”

“violate” is pronounced /ˈvaɪəleɪt/ (VY-uh-layt) in American English and /vaɪəleɪt/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “viol”.
The sound

Say “violate” in 3 beats

Say it like this

violate

/ˈvaɪəleɪt/

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

3 beats
  1. violvaɪstress
  2. atə
  3. eleɪt
IPA (American)
/ˈvaɪəleɪt/
IPA (British)
/vaɪəleɪt/
Respelling
VY-uh-layt
Syllables
3 — VIOL-at-e
Stress
Stress the first syllable: VIOL-at-e. “viol” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Part of speech
verb
Difficulty
Pro — the sounds are ordinary, the rhythm is where it slips
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈvaɪəleɪt/

British

/vaɪəleɪt/

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

Meaning

What “violate” means

  1. verb

    fail to agree with; be in violation of; as of rules or patterns

    “This sentence violates the rules of syntax”

  2. verb

    act in disregard of laws, rules, contracts, or promises

    “offend all laws of humanity”

  3. verb

    destroy

    “Don't violate my garden”

Say it in a sentence

“Parking there would violate the terms of the lease.”
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

6 sounds, in the order you say them
vvaɪlong iəschwalleɪlong att

Each sound has its own page: where the tongue goes, what it is usually confused with, and words to drill it on.

Questions

“violate”, answered

How do you pronounce “violate”?

“violate” is pronounced /ˈvaɪəleɪt/ (VY-uh-layt) in American English and /vaɪəleɪt/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “viol”. Build it as VIOL-at-e, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “violate” have?

3: viol · at · e. The beat lands on the first, “viol”.

Is “violate” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈvaɪəleɪt/ (VY-uh-layt); British English says /vaɪəleɪt/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “violate” mean?

As a verb: fail to agree with; be in violation of; as of rules or patterns For example: “This sentence violates the rules of syntax” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “violate”?

Stress the first syllable: VIOL-at-e. “viol” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.

Practise this word

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