Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

delve

/dɛlv/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.14 in modern English

Syllables
delve
IPA
/dɛlv/
9
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To dig into the ground, especially with a shovel.

Intransitive verb; Literary

verb

To dig; to excavate.

Literary

noun

A pit or den.

Archaic; Literary

name

A surname from Old English.

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Middle English delven, from Old English delfan (“to dig, dig out, burrow, bury”), from Proto-Germanic *delbaną (“to dig”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰelbʰ- (“to dig”). Cognate with West Frisian dolle (“to dig, delve”), Dutch delven (“to dig, delve”), Low German dölven (“to dig, delve”), dialectal German delben, telben (“to dig, delve”).

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: delven, delfan, *delbaną, *dʰelbʰ-, delve, delf

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce delve?
The recorded pronunciation is /dɛlv/.
What does delve mean?
To dig into the ground, especially with a shovel.
Where does delve come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce delve

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “delve”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/dɛlv/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “delve”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “delve” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.