2 syllables: bre, vis. Stress on bre.
BREE-vis
/ˈbriːvɪs/
brevis is pronounced BREE-vis (/ˈbriːvɪs/). It has two syllables (bre-vis), with the stress on "bre". Brevis is a multisyllabic term used in linguistics, musicology, and biology to denote brevity or a short duration, or, in anatomy, a short structure. In linguistics it often refers to a short vowel or a diacritic mark indicating shortness. The term can also describe a short form of a word. It signals concise length or a reduced, compact form within a system of symbols or units.
Brevis is a multisyllabic term used in linguistics, musicology, and biology to denote brevity or a short duration, or, in anatomy, a short structure. In linguistics it often refers to a short vowel or a diacritic mark indicating shortness. The term can also describe a short form of a word. It signals concise length or a reduced, compact form within a system of symbols or units.
- You may add an unnecessary vowel between the /br/ cluster and the /ɛ/ vowel, saying something like /ˈbreɪvɪs/. Keep the first syllable short with /brɛ/ and avoid elongating the vowel. - You might misplace stress on the second syllable; practice with a held first syllable and a quick second syllable: BRE-vis. - Final /s/ may sound like /z/ in connected speech; ensure the end is a crisp voiceless /s/ by focusing the air release right after /v/ with minimal voicing. - In rapid or casual speech, the /ɪ/ may reduce toward a schwa; maintain a clear /ɪ/ in careful pronunciation, especially in academic contexts. - Lip relaxation matters; avoid rounding the lips on the /ɛ/; keep a neutral, slightly spread mouth for accuracy.
"In phonology, a breve over a vowel marks a short vocalic duration."
"The term brevis appears in anatomical texts to describe shorter muscle fibers."
"In music theory, a breve note is longer than a whole note and shorter than several tied notes, depending on context."
Pronounce it as BREH-vis, with the stress on the first syllable. IPA: US/UK/AU /ˈbrɛvɪs/. The first vowel is a short e (as in bed), the second vowel is a short i (as in it). Final s is voiced as z-like in some contexts, but here it’s a clear s. Mouth: start with a mid-front vowel, lips relaxed, then a quick, light alveolar sibilant at the end.
Common errors include stressing the second syllable (bre- VIS) or saying the first vowel as a long e (bree-vis). Another mistake is devoicing the final s or turning it into z. To correct: keep BRE as a short, checked syllable with a lax front vowel /brɛ/ and end with a crisp /s/. Practice by alternating with a near-minimal pair like ‘brevis’ vs ‘brev-is’ with a quick, clipped second syllable.
In US, UK, and AU accents, the word maintains /ˈbrɛvɪs/. Differences are minor: rhoticity doesn’t affect this word since it isn’t r-colored after the vowel; vowel quality is similar, but Americans may have slightly tenser /ɛ/ vs softer UK /ɛ/; Australians often reduce unstressed vowels in casual speech, but /brɛvɪs/ remains clear in formal contexts.
Difficulties center on the short, clipped first syllable and the final consonant cluster /vɪs/ where the /v/ and /s/ require precise articulatory timing. Some speakers insert an unnecessary vowel between /br/ and /ɛ/ or turn /ˈbrEVɪs/ into /ˈbrēvɪs/. Focus on a concise, crisp /br/ release, then a short /ɛ/ and a sharp /v/ followed quickly by /s/.
No silent letters in brevis. All letters contribute to the sound: b /b/, r /r/, e /ɛ/, v /v/, i /ɪ/, s /s/. The final s is pronounced as a clear s; don’t let it go to a soft z in careful speech. Ensure each segment is energized and the syllables remain distinct without extra vowels.
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- US: /ˈbrɛvɪs/ with a slightly tighter jaw; keep /ɛ/ clear and a quick /s/ at the end. Unstressed vowels contract often, so rehearse both syllables with even energy. - UK: /ˈbrevɪs/ may have a shorter /ɛ/ and crisper consonants; contrastive with US by keeping a more clipped vowel quality. - AU: /ˈbrɛvɪs/ often reduced in fast speech; practice maintaining the short, clipped quality in careful speech, then allow mild vowel reduction in casual contexts. IPA references help you track phoneme accuracy across dialects.
Brevis comes from Latin brevis, meaning short, from the comparative form of brevi. The Latin adjective brevis (short) derives from the Proto-Italic *bre(v)os, related to the Greek brachus (short, arm) and further back to PIE *bʰr̥- meaning short or brief. In classical Latin, brevis described physical length and also metaphorical brevity, and it entered early Latin scientific and grammatical vocabulary. In English, brevis has specialized uses in linguistics (short vowel, breve diacritic), anatomy (short muscles or processes), and music (breve as a time-value historically longer than a semibreve). The first known English literary uses date to the 16th–17th centuries in learned dictionaries and grammars, often transliterating Latin or borrowing from scholarly Latin phrases. Over time, brevis broadened into technical terms in various fields, yet retained its core sense of shortness or brevity. In modern usage, it often remains a label or diacritic (the breve) or a descriptor for brief duration in descriptions of sounds, notes, or structures.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "brevis" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "brevis" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "brevis"
-vis sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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