One syllable: Crave.
krayv
/kɹeɪv/
Crave is pronounced krayv (/kɹeɪv/). It has one syllable (Crave), with the stress on "Crave". Crave is a verb meaning to have a strong, intense desire for something, often insistent or urgent. It conveys a craving that goes beyond casual wanting, sometimes with a sense of longing or appetite that is hard to resist. It is commonly used for both tangible desires (food, objects) and abstract needs (attention, success).
verbCrave is a verb meaning to have a strong, intense desire for something, often insistent or urgent. It conveys a craving that goes beyond casual wanting, sometimes with a sense of longing or appetite that is hard to resist. It is commonly used for both tangible desires (food, objects) and abstract needs (attention, success).
- You often mispronounce the /eɪ/ as a short /e/ or /æ/. Solution: exaggerate the diphthong early, then settle into /eɪ/ with a crisp /v/ at the end. - Final /v/ may become a soft /f/ or a whispered sound; solution: press the lower lip gently against the upper teeth, keep your teeth touching, and voice the /v/ clearly. - The /r/ sound is not pronounced in /kreɪv/ since it’s not an /r/ combo; focus on a clean /k/ onset and smooth /reɪ/ transition, avoiding extra vowel insertion. - In rapid speech, you might elide the vowel; slow down to maintain the /eɪ/ nucleus and ensure the /v/ is audible. - Stress is monosyllabic; avoid adding extra syllables or trailing vowels.
How to Pronounce Crave
"She craved a hot cup of tea after the long hike."
"The critics crave a new, daring direction in cinema."
"He craved recognition from his peers more than anything."
- Pronounce as /kreɪv/. The initial consonant is a voiced alveolar stop /k/ followed by the mid-front vowel /reɪ/ (the /eɪ/ as in ‘face’), ending with the final /v/ sound. The stress is on the single syllable, with a brisk, concise vowel. Tip: keep your lips relaxed for the /eɪ/ glide and finish with a firm /v/ closure using the upper teeth on the lower lip. You can listen to examples on Pronounce or Forvo to hear native variations.
Two common mistakes: (1) Mispronouncing the /eɪ/ as a short /æ/ like ‘crav’ instead of the long /eɪ/; ensure you open into a clear diphthong. (2) Softening the final /v/ into a /f/ or a voiced/unvoiced mismatch; keep a voiced /v/ with a light lower-lip contact against the upper teeth. Practice by holding a mirror and ensuring the /v/ is voiced and the /eɪ/ glide is audible. Focus on clean onset and final voicing to avoid ‘crav’.
US/UK/AU share /kreɪv/, but there are subtle differences: US tends to a slightly tighter /eɪ/ diphthong and stronger rhotic influence elsewhere in connected speech; UK often preserves a cleaner, rounded /eɪ/ with less glottal influence; Australian English typically has a broader, more centralized /eɪ/ with a slightly lighter final /v/. In connected speech, Americans may elide surrounding vowels, while Brits may keep clearer vowel length and lip rounding. Overall, the core /kreɪv/ sequence remains constant across accents.
The challenge lies in producing a precise /eɪ/ diphthong within a single syllable and transitioning cleanly into the voiced /v/. Beginners often shorten /eɪ/ to /æ/ or misarticulate the closing fricative as /f/ or /β/. Also, coordinating tongue height and lip rounding quickly can be tricky in fast speech. To master it, focus on the glide from /e/ to /ɪ/ in the diphthong and keep the /v/ voicing steady without letting the lip contact soften.
Is there a subtle tension between an abrupt onset and a floating vowel in rapid speech? With 'crave', you’ll notice the onset /k/ is hard and immediate, then a steady glide into /reɪ/ before ending with a short /v/. In rapid speech, some speakers shorten or blur the vowel slightly, but a clear /eɪ/ maintains intelligibility. Practice by saying ‘crave it’ at speed, ensuring the vowel stays prominent while the /v/ remains voiced and audible.
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- US: /kreɪv/ with a crisp, slightly rounded /eɪ/ and a voiced /v/. Keep the tongue high-mid for the /eɪ/; the /r/ is not present; focus on a light tongue tip for the onset /k/. - UK: /kreɪv/ same nucleus, but you may hear a slightly tenser vowel and minimal tongue tension to keep the diphthong distinct; ensure clear lip rounding for the /eɪ/. - AU: /kreɪv/ with a relatively flat vowel center and a slightly higher tongue position; the /v/ should be voiced but not overly stressed. All: maintain the single-stressed syllable, allow the diphthong to flow, and finish with a crisp /v/. IPA references: /kreɪv/ across accents.
Crave originates from the Old French word craver, derived from craver in the sense of ‘to cry, lament, desire,’ which itself traces to the Latin root incavere meaning ‘to long for’? The precise lineage is complex due to the word’s semantic travels in Middle English. By the late 14th century, crave appeared in English texts with the sense of strong desire or demand, often in religious or moral contexts (as in ‘crave mercy’). Over time, the word broadened to secular use, encompassing both tangible wants (food, wealth) and abstract yearnings (approval, success). The spelling stabilized in Early Modern English, aligning with the verb forms of many Romance borrowings that entered English after the Norman invasion. In contemporary usage, crave retains a slightly formal to neutral tone depending on the surrounding words, but it can also carry a heightened emotional charge when paired with adjectives like intense, insatiable, or desperate. The word’s energy comes from its sharp, single-syllable structure, which makes it vivid and direct in both spoken and written form.
💡 Etymology tip: Understanding word origins can help you remember pronunciation patterns and recognize related words in the same language family.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Crave" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Crave" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Crave"
-ave sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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