better late than never

Questions

What does better late than never mean?

It is better to do something late, than to never do it at all.

Where does better late than never come from?

Perhaps a calque of Latin potius sero quam numquam from the 4th book of Ab Urbe condita (History of Rome) by Titus Livius, around 27 BC.

How to pronounce better late than never

1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “better late than never”.
2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “better late than never”.
4. Repeat and practice — Say “better late than never” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.