Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

eave

/iv/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.11 in modern English

Syllables: eave
IPA: /iv/

7

Scrabble Score

4

Letters

1

Syllables

3

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Alternative form of eaves (“the underside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building”)

Example Sentences

"Features such as shutters, eave brackets, transoms, a wraparound porch, and a pergola all help establish the style of this home."
"Among other work done, according to the letter: CPR replaced the bottom of a deteriorating stair column base with hollow steel structural sections; conducted exploratory demolition on the underside of an eave that required “removal and reconstruction”; and removed all loose “cracked, spalled, deteriorated, and delaminated concrete” and damaged stucco from the underside of balcony eaves on 114 of the building’s 136 units, the letter said."

Etymology

A back-formation from eaves, from a misinterpretation of the -s ending as forming a plural.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /iv/
British English: /iːv/

Inflected Forms

eaves (plural)

Derived Forms

eaved eavedrop eaveless eavestrough eaving

Homonyms

eve

Rhymes With

believe leave we've receive steve achieve eve sleeve relieve naive perceive retrieve

Questions

How do you pronounce eave?: The recorded pronunciation is /iv/.
What does eave mean?: Alternative form of eaves (“the underside of a roof that extends beyond the external walls of a building”)
Where does eave come from?: A back-formation from eaves, from a misinterpretation of the -s ending as forming a plural.

How to pronounce eave

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