2 syllables: A, void. Stress on void.
uh-VOYD
/əˈvɔɪd/
Avoid is pronounced uh-VOYD (/əˈvɔɪd/). It has two syllables (A-void), with the stress on "void". Avoid is a transitive or intransitive verb meaning to keep away from or stop oneself from engaging with something. It can also mean to avert or prevent something undesirable. The term emphasizes deliberate action to steer clear of a person, place, or situation.
verbAvoid is a transitive or intransitive verb meaning to keep away from or stop oneself from engaging with something. It can also mean to avert or prevent something undesirable. The term emphasizes deliberate action to steer clear of a person, place, or situation.
"She tried to avoid the crowds by taking a back route."
"He avoided answering the question directly."
"To avoid mistakes, she double-checked her calculations."
Avoid is pronounced with two syllables: /əˈvɔɪd/. Start with a reduced schwa in the first syllable, then a stressed diphthong /ɔɪ/ in the second syllable, ending with a voiced /d/. Focus on a smooth glide from /ɔ/ to /ɪ/ within the diphthong and ensure the /v/ is crisp. Listen to natural examples and mirror the mouth shapes you hear: relaxed lip position for schwa, upper teeth on the lower lip for /v/, and a light dental/alveolar stop for /d/. Audio references: you can compare with native clips on Forvo or YouGlish, but the core is /əˈvɔɪd/.
Common errors include turning /əˈvɔɪd/ into an exaggerated first syllable or mispronouncing /ɔɪ/ as a pure /o/ or /ɔ/. Another frequent mistake is pronouncing the final /d/ as a soft 'd' or silent. Correct by keeping the first syllable unstressed with a true schwa, producing the diphthong /ɔɪ/ clearly (as in 'boy'), and releasing a crisp /d/ at the end. Practice minimal pair/word-level contrasts to stabilize the diphthong and final consonant.
Across US, UK, and AU, the core /əˈvɔɪd/ remains, but rhoticity and vowel color differ. In rhotic US, /ə/ is a lax schwa; /vɔɪ/ stays the same, with a slightly rounded lip for /ɔɪ/. In many UK varieties, /ə/ remains, but vowel quality can tilt toward a shorter /ɒ/ before r-less accents or a more centralized /ə/. Australian English may exhibit a slightly centralized, more relaxed /ə/ and a fronted /ɔɪ/ with less diphthongal movement. Overall, the differences are subtle; focus on the diphthong accuracy and final /d/ release.
The difficulty lies in the stressed diphthong /ɔɪ/ and the rapid transition from a reduced first syllable to the strong second syllable. The /v/ must be voiced and clearly produced with firm lip contact, and the final /d/ must be released cleanly. The sequence schwa- /ə/ to /v/ can create a subtle vowel-consonant boundary that many learners blur, causing a slurred onset. Focused practice on the /v/–/ɔɪ/ transition and a crisp /d/ release resolves most issues.
In careful connected speech, you still retain the primary stress on the second syllable /ˈvɔɪd/, especially when the word bears the main meaning. In rapid speech, the schwa can shorten further, and the word may blend with adjacent words, but the nucleus /ɔɪ/ remains prominent. Some speakers may de-emphasize the first syllable entirely, leading to a quicker /ə/ before the diphthong, yet stable stress remains on the 2nd syllable.
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Avoid comes from the Old French esvoir, which means to shun or to avert, and from the Latin avertĕre, literally meaning to turn away. The Latin form avertĕre is composed of ad- (toward, to) and vertere (to turn). In Middle English usage, avoidance described the act of turning away from something, particularly in moral, social, or practical contexts. The modern sense of deliberately staying away from a person or situation emerged over time as English speakers extended avertire-like concepts to general avoidance behavior. By the 16th century, avoid had entered common usage in English texts to mean to escape or circumvent an event, danger, or obligation. Across centuries, the word retained its core semantic core of intentional redirection or reluctance to engage, but broadened into everyday usage with various collocations such as avoid danger, avoid contact, avoid temptation, and avoid getting involved. In contemporary usage, avoid commonly collocates with senses of risk, obligation, or risk management, and it is frequently found in formal, advisory, and instructional writing as well as casual speech.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Avoid" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Avoid" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Avoid"
-oid sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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