Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

knive

/naɪv/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.28 in modern English

Syllables: knive
IPA: /naɪv/

12

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

1

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

Rare form of knife.

Example Sentences

"all small weak Shoots should be cut close to the main Stems; and (generally speaking) nipping with your Nails, is a better Way than kniving of them."
"Our brains always ache, in the merciless iced east winds that knive us."
"The Greeks were always fighting, drunk, and kniving each other."
"I could feel my fingernails kniving into my palms."
"Great sheets of rain began kniving horizontally like slashing shards."

Etymology

Attested since at least 1733. Knife (verb), which is now 150 times more common, is first attested in the 1860s. Related to knife (“short blade”, noun); compare strife (noun), strive (verb).

Inflected Forms

knives (present, singular) kniving (participle, present) knived (participle, past) knived (past)

Phrases

knive up

Rhymes With

live five drive alive nine while five twenty-five survive arrive forty-five dive eighty-five thrive

Questions

How do you pronounce knive?: The recorded pronunciation is /naɪv/.
What does knive mean?: Rare form of knife.
Where does knive come from?: Attested since at least 1733. Knife (verb), which is now 150 times more common, is first attested in the 1860s. Related to knife (“short blade”, noun); compare strife (noun), strive (verb).

How to pronounce knive

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