How to Pronounce Jive

To pronounce "jive", say JIV-e — 2 syllables, IPA /ˈdʒaɪv/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

jive

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 jive, then compare with the target. Your audio stays on this device — nothing is uploaded.

2

Syllables

4

Letters

/ˈdʒaɪv/

IPA

💡 Tip for remembering “jive”

"jive" has 2 syllables: jiv-e. It rhymes with contrive and strive, if that helps it stick.

What does jive mean?

noun

  1. A dance style popular in the 1940–50s.
  2. Swing, a style of jazz music.

verb

  1. To deceive; to be deceptive.

    “Don’t try to jive me! I know where you were last night!”

  2. To dance.

Hear “jive” 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 jive

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

contrivestrivedrivederivearchiveconniveliverevivealivethriveshrivearrive

Related words

swingtryrunwalkjazzseventyfortyjuke

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "jive"?▾

"Jive" has 2 syllables: jiv · e.

What is the IPA transcription of "jive"?▾

The IPA transcription of "jive" is /ˈdʒaɪv/.

What does "jive" mean?▾

Jive: A dance style popular in the 1940–50s.

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

Open “jive” in the full dictionary →