2 syllables: gra, vy. Stress on gra.
GRAY-vee
/ˈɡɹeɪvi/
gravy is pronounced GRAY-vee (/ˈɡɹeɪvi/). It has two syllables (gra-vy), with the stress on "gra". Gravy is a savory liquid sauce, typically served with meat dishes. It is usually made from meat drippings, stock, and thickening ingredients, producing a smooth, flavorful accompaniment. In everyday use, it can also describe a rich sauce or metaphorically refer to something that makes things better or easier to manage.
Gravy is a savory liquid sauce, typically served with meat dishes. It is usually made from meat drippings, stock, and thickening ingredients, producing a smooth, flavorful accompaniment. In everyday use, it can also describe a rich sauce or metaphorically refer to something that makes things better or easier to manage.
- Misarticulating the initial /ɡ/ as a soft or fricative sound, which weakens the word. Remedy: practice with a strong, voiced stop release, letting the g sound pop before the vowel. - Overemphasizing the second syllable, turning /vi/ into a longer /viː/ or /vɪ/; aim for a crisp, unstressed final /i/ that remains light. Remedy: practice ending with a short, focused /i/. - Inconsistent vowel quality in /eɪ/; some speakers stretch it to /eɪi/ or shorten to /eɪ/; remedy: hold the diphthong to a clean glide from /e/ to /ɪ/ without adding an extra vowel.
"The roast was delicious, but the mashed potatoes needed extra gravy."
"Grandma always keeps a warming bowl of gravy on the stove for Sunday dinners."
"She poured gravy over the turkey and stuffing, saturating every bite."
Gravy is pronounced with two syllables: /ˈɡreɪ.vi/ in US/UK, with primary stress on the first syllable. Start with a voiced velar stop /ɡ/ as in got, then the diphthong /reɪ/ like “ray,” followed by a clear /v/ and a final /i/ as in “see.” In some Australian speech, you may hear a subtle closer vowel in the second syllable, but /ˈɡreɪ.vi/ remains standard. Picture your mouth: back of the tongue raises for /ɡ/, lips blend for /ɹeɪ/, teeth lightly touch to voice /v/, and the final high-front vowel /i/ relaxes.
Common errors: replacing /ɡ/ with a softer /ɣ/ or /k/ sound; mispronouncing /reɪ/ as a short /rɪ/ or /ɹæ/; softening the final /i/ into a schwa. Correction: ensure the initial /ɡ/ is a strong, voiced velar stop; glide into /reɪ/ with a precise diphthong, ending with clear /vi/ rather than /vɪ/ or /viː/; finish with a crisp, unstretched /i/ that sits high and forward. Practice by isolating each segment and then blending slowly.
In US and UK, the pronunciation is /ˈɡreɪ.vi/ with two syllables and a clear /ˈɡreɪ/ onset; the rhoticity of US accents doesn’t affect this word much. Australians often say /ˈɡræ.vi/ or /ˈɡreɪ.vi/, sometimes with a flatter /æ/ in the first syllable depending on region. The main differences lie in vowel quality of the first syllable: /eɪ/ in US/UK, occasionally closer /æ/ in AU, and a slightly shortened final /i/ in rapid speech. Overall, keep stress on the first syllable.
Gravy challenges a learner with a tense-diphthong in the first syllable /eɪ/ and a final /i/ that can drift into a schwa. The initial /ɡ/ must be released strongly; failure leads to a softer, less defined stop. Additionally, many learners insert extra vowels or distort the /v/ by voicing in an adjacent consonant. Focusing on precise mouth positions—velar stop, glide into /eɪ/, and final closed /i/—helps stabilize the rhythm and sound.
Yes. The /ɡr/ onset shapes the mouth into a rounded or relaxed position before the /eɪ/ diphthong. The consonant cluster should be tightly connected to the vowel so you don’t add an extra breath or a clean break. Keep the /r/ smooth and immediate, letting the glide into /eɪ/ flow naturally. This reduces the tendency to say a separate /ɡr/ and then delay the vowel.
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- US: two-syllable, rhotic, with /ɡr/ onset; ensure final /i/ is short and crisp. - UK: similar, but you may hear a slightly tighter lip rounding on /eɪ/; keep it as a pure diphthong. - AU: might replace /eɪ/ with a broader /æ/ in some regional variants; maintain the core /ˈɡreɪ.vi/ or /ˈɡræ.vi/ depending on accent; keep /v/ voiced.
Gravy comes from the Old French word gravyer, meaning ‘fat, gravy’; the sense evolved in English to refer to a sauce made by sauting meat and mixing its juices with stock and a thickener. Early forms appear in Anglo-Norman and Middle English culinary texts of the 14th–15th centuries, often described as a pourable sauce from meat drippings. The word spread throughout English-speaking cultures, with regional variants (brown gravy, white gravy,/jus) reflecting differing bases and usage. By the 17th–18th centuries, gravies became codified components of formal feasts and Sunday roasts, accompanied by refined notions of thickness and glossiness achieved via flour, cornstarch, or reduction. In modern usage, gravy is not only a culinary term but also a metaphor for something that adds richness or ease to a situation, as in “the gravy on the deal.” First known written records are found in culinary glossaries of the Late Middle Ages, with the term stabilizing in modern dictionaries by the 18th century.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "gravy" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "gravy" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "gravy"
-avy sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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