How to Pronounce Relative

To pronounce "relative", say REL-at-iv-e — 4 syllables, IPA /[ˈɹɛl.ə.tʰɪv]/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

relative

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Accent

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4

Syllables

8

Letters

/[ˈɹɛl.ə.tʰɪv]/

IPA

💡 Tip for remembering “relative”

"relative" has 4 syllables: rel-at-iv-e.

What does relative mean?

noun

  1. Someone in the same family; someone connected by blood, marriage, or adoption.

    “Why do my relatives always talk about sex?”

  2. A type of adjective that inflects like a relative clause, rather than a true adjective, in certain Bantu languages.

adjective

  1. Connected to or depending on something else; comparative.
  2. (of a URL, URI, path, or similar) Expressed in relation to another item, rather than in complete form.

    “The relative URL /images/pic.jpg, when evaluated in the context of http://example.com/docs/pic.html, corresponds to the absolute URL http://example.com/images/pic.jpg.”

Synonyms

comparativeconditionallimited

Antonyms

absoluteunlimited

Related words

comparativeproportionaterelationalrelationqualifyingproportionalcongenercongenator

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "relative"?▾

"Relative" has 4 syllables: rel · at · iv · e.

What is the IPA transcription of "relative"?▾

The IPA transcription of "relative" is /[ˈɹɛl.ə.tʰɪv]/.

What does "relative" mean?▾

Relative: Someone in the same family; someone connected by blood, marriage, or adoption.

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