Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

wive

/waɪv/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.75 in modern English

Syllables: wive
IPA: /waɪv/

10

Scrabble Score

4

Letters

1

Syllables

4

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To marry (a woman).

verb

To provide (someone) with a wife.

Transitive verb

Example Sentences

"If he have the condition of a saint and the complexion of a devil, I had rather he should shrive me than wive me."

Etymology

From Middle English wiven, iwiven, from Old English wīfian, wīfiġan, ġewīfian (“to take a wife; marry”).

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: wiven, wīfian

Usage

Transitive verb

Inflected Forms

wives (present, singular) wiving (participle, present) wived (participle, past) wived (past)

Derived Forms

unwive

Synonyms

bewife take to wife wife

Rhymes With

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

Questions

How do you pronounce wive?: The recorded pronunciation is /waɪv/.
What does wive mean?: To marry (a woman).
Where does wive come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce wive

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