How to Pronounce Believe

To pronounce "believe", say BEL-iev-e — 3 syllables, IPA /bɪˈɫiv/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

believe

Tap to hear · American accent

Accent

If an accent sounds the same, your device is missing that voice — it falls back to the closest one.

Speed

Syllable by syllable — tap each one

Practice: Record & Compare

Record yourself saying believe, then compare with the target. Your audio stays on this device — nothing is uploaded.

Syllables

Letters

/bɪˈɫiv/

🇺🇸 IPA (US)

/bɪlˈiːv/

🇬🇧 IPA (UK)

💡 Tip for remembering “believe”

"believe" has 3 syllables: bel-iev-e. It rhymes with naive and heave, if that helps it stick.

What does believe mean?

verb

To accept as true, particularly without absolute certainty (i.e., as opposed to knowing)
“I believe there are faeries.”
To accept that someone is telling the truth.
“Why did I ever believe you?”

Antonyms

disbelieve

Hear “believe” in real sentences

Real example sentences from Tatoeba (CC-BY) — tap to hear each one, or see it used on YouGlish.

Words that rhyme with believe

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

naive heave reprieve conceive perceive cleave relieve reave achieve eve weave receive

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "believe"?▾

"Believe" has 3 syllables: bel · iev · e.

What is the IPA transcription of "believe"?▾

The IPA transcription of "believe" is /bɪˈɫiv/.

What does "believe" mean?▾

Believe: To accept as true, particularly without absolute certainty (i.e., as opposed to knowing)

Want the definition, translations into 8 languages, and read-aloud for full sentences?

Open “believe” in the full dictionary →