How to pronounce “review”
Review is pronounced /ˌriːˈvjuː/. It has 2 syllables, and the beat falls on the second one — vjuː. Below: the syllable split, native audio in both accents, the mistake people actually make with this word, and every individual sound in it explained.
Syllables and stress
Split it into 2 beats. The highlighted syllable is the strong one: say it louder, longer and a touch higher in pitch, and let the others fall away. English is a stress-timed language, so getting vjuː in the right place matters more to a listener than getting every vowel perfect.
Stress pattern ōO — capital letters mark the stressed beats.
The common mispronunciation of “review”
✗ Often said: /ˈrevaɪw/ — the spelling, read straight off the page.
✓ Actually: /ˌriːˈvjuː/
Why the two come apart: the stress lands on the second syllable (“vjuː”), not on the first one — putting the beat at the front is the mistake almost everyone makes; also, at least one vowel does not say what its spelling suggests — English vowel letters are not reliable here; also, a consonant letter takes an unexpected sound value here, so reading it "as written" comes out wrong.
This is why reading English aloud from spelling alone goes wrong so often: the letters of “review” are not a reliable map of its sounds. The IPA is — each symbol stands for exactly one sound, every time.
“review” sound by sound
“review” is built out of 5 sounds. Say each one on its own first, slowly, then run them together at speed. Every sound links to a full guide with mouth position, the mistake learners make with it, and other words that use it.
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rCurl the tongue tip back (or bunch the tongue body up) without touching anything, round the lips slightly, and voice — the tongue must never tap the roof of the mouth.
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iːSpread the lips into a smile, push the front of the tongue high and forward, and hold the sound tense and long.
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vUpper teeth on the lower lip, push air through the gap, and add voicing so the lip buzzes.
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jRaise the front of the tongue high toward the hard palate as if starting /iː/, then glide straight into the following vowel.
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uːPush the tongue high and back and round the lips into a tight, forward circle; hold it tense and long.
Words that rhyme with “review”
Same ending sound from the stressed vowel on — a good way to hear whether you have the vowel right:
Minimal pairs — words one sound away from “review”
Each of these differs from “review” by exactly one sound. If you can say both of a pair and hear the difference, that sound is under control:
Questions people ask about “review”
- How do you pronounce “review”?
- “review” is pronounced /ˌriːˈvjuː/, with the stress on the second syllable (vjuː). Press the US or UK button above to hear it spoken.
- How many syllables are in “review”?
- “review” has 2 syllables: riː · vjuː. The stress pattern is ōO.
- What is the common mispronunciation of “review”?
- People read it off the spelling as /ˈrevaɪw/, but it is actually /ˌriːˈvjuː/, because the stress lands on the second syllable (“vjuː”), not on the first one — putting the beat at the front is the mistake almost everyone makes.
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