How to Pronounce Evil

To pronounce "evil", say EV-il — 2 syllables, IPA /ˈivəl/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

evil

Tap to hear · American accent

Accent

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Speed

Syllable by syllable — tap each one

Practice: Record & Compare

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Syllables

Letters

/ˈivəl/

IPA

"evil" has 2 syllables: ev-il. It rhymes with upheaval and primeval, if that helps it stick.

noun

Moral badness; wickedness; malevolence; the forces or behaviors that are the opposite or enemy of good.
“Evil lacks spirituality, hence its need for mind control.”
Something which impairs the happiness of a being or deprives a being of any good; something which causes suffering of any kind to sentient beings; harm; injury; mischief.

adjective

Intending to harm; malevolent.
“an evil plot to brainwash and even kill innocent people”
Morally corrupt.
“Do you think that companies that engage in animal testing are evil?”

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

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

How many syllables are in "evil"?▾

"Evil" has 2 syllables: ev · il.

What is the IPA transcription of "evil"?▾

The IPA transcription of "evil" is /ˈivəl/.

What does "evil" mean?▾

Evil: Moral badness; wickedness; malevolence; the forces or behaviors that are the opposite or enemy of good.

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