2 syllables: Hi, vites. Stress on Hi.
HEYE-veyets
/ˈhaɪvaɪts/
Hivites is pronounced HEYE-veyets (/ˈhaɪvaɪts/). It has two syllables (Hi-vites), with the stress on "Hi". Hivites is a Bible-era noun referring to a group of ancient inhabitants of Canaan, or more generally to members of the tribe from biblical narratives. In scholarly usage it designates a specific people, distinct from the Canaanites and other groups, often appearing in historical or religious texts. The plural form is typically used in discussions of ancient populations or biblical geography.
nounHivites is a Bible-era noun referring to a group of ancient inhabitants of Canaan, or more generally to members of the tribe from biblical narratives. In scholarly usage it designates a specific people, distinct from the Canaanites and other groups, often appearing in historical or religious texts. The plural form is typically used in discussions of ancient populations or biblical geography.
How to Pronounce Hivites
"The Hivites are listed among the peoples of the land in several biblical passages."
"Scholars debate whether the Hivites were a distinct ethnic group or a subset of a larger Levantine population."
"Archaeologists have identified Hivite settlements in northern Canaan in the Bronze Age."
Pronounce as /ˈhɪ.vaɪts/ (US) or /ˈhɪ.vaɪts/ (UK/AU). The first syllable has a short I as in hit, and the second syllable has a long I sound like “vites” rhymes with bites. Stress on the first syllable: HI-vites. Keep the /v/ sound clear and end with a crisp /ts/ cluster.
Common errors include pronouncing the second syllable with a short e (hi-vets) or inserting an extra vowel sound (hih-vi-ites). Another frequent error is softening the /v/ into /w/ or adding an extra syllable (hi-vi-ites). Correction: keep /v/ as a distinct labiodental fricative, and deliver /vaɪ/ as the second syllable with a clear /ɪ/ then /aɪ/ before the final /ts/.
In US, UK, and AU, the pronunciation is largely the same: /ˈhɪ.vaɪts/. The main variance is rhoticity in connected speech and the quality of the vowels in rapid speech; non-rhotic accents won’t omit the /r/ (there is no /r/ in the word anyway). The key differences come in vowel length perception and intonation in sentences containing the word.
The difficulty lies in the diphthong /aɪ/ in the second syllable and the final /ts/ cluster, which can be tricky for learners who aren’t comfortable transitioning from the /v/ to a high front vowel into the voiceless /ts/ burst. Additionally, the word’s biblical context can bias learners toward unfamiliar stress or syllable rhythm.
Watch the distinction between /vaɪ/ and /viː/ patterns; the word uses a concise /ɪ/ then a clear /aɪ/ sequence in the second syllable, followed by a crisp /ts/. Ensure you’re not slurring the /ts/ into a simple /s/ or /t/.
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Hivites derives from biblical Hebrew חִוִּית (ḥîwîṯ), a term used in the Hebrew Bible to describe the inhabitants known as the Hivites. The root hm, often rendered as ḥîwîṯ, is tied to ethnonyms in ancient Levantine onomastics. The form appears in various transliterations across Greek and Latin Bibles as Hivites, reflecting the consonantal Hebrew root and the suffix -ites used broadly in biblical naming (e.g., Jebusites, Amorites) to denote a people or tribe. Historically, the identity of Hivites is tied to biblical geography and treaty lists, with mentions spanning Genesis, Exodus, Joshua, and Deuteronomy. The term enters English via early English translations of the Bible, with the -ites suffix signaling a people or nation in classical biblical translation. Over time, “Hivites” came to denote a specific set of Levantine groups in scholarly reference, distinct from other Canaanite populations, and is most commonly encountered in religious, historical, and archaeological literature. The first known usage in English is rooted in the 16th-17th century Bible translations, which standardized many ethnonyms from the Hebrew tradition into the English lexicon. In modern scholarship, “Hivites” supports discussions of ancient ethnicities, population movements, and treaty networks in Bronze to Iron Age Canaan.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Hivites" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Hivites"
-tes sounds
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