Levy (pronounced LEE-vee) is a noun referring to a compulsory tax or payment levied by a government, or by extension, any imposed assessment. It can also denote a charge or contribution assessed on individuals or property. In political or legal contexts, it’s commonly used to describe a monetary obligation collected by authority.
"The city passed a new levy to fund the school district."
"Residents faced a levy on their property taxes this year."
"The union negotiated a levy on income to support healthcare benefits."
"A windfall levy was imposed on profits exceeding a certain threshold."
Levy comes from Old French levee, from lever 'to raise, lift' and Latin levis 'light, light-weight' evolving through Medieval Latin and Norman French. The word originally referred to the act of raising troops or lifting burdens, and by the 14th century shifted to the sense of raising money or taxes. In English, levy later solidified as a formal tax or levy on property, income, or goods, often mandated by a governmental body. The form levee (capitalized in some contexts) can refer to a different origin (French greeting) but is etymologically distinct. First known use in English appears in the 14th century legal and financial records, with later proliferation in fiscal policy, military conscription, and taxation discourse. Over centuries, its semantic field broadened from physical levying to financial charges, while maintaining the core sense of ‘an imposing or raising of funds by authority.’
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Levy" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Levy"
-me) sounds
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Pronounce it as /ˈliː.vi/—two syllables with stress on the first. The vowels are a long E in the first syllable and a short I in the second. Think “LEE-vee.” Keep the L sounds clear and avoid turning it into a diphthong. You’ll often hear it in formal contexts as LEV-ee, especially in American media, but the standard is LEE-vee. Audio references: consult /ˈliːvi/ on pronunciation dictionaries for US/UK/AU variants.
Common errors include reducing the first syllable to a lax, quick ‘leh-vee’ and slurring the two syllables together as ‘lee-vee’ without proper stress. Some learners also pronouce it as LEV-ee or LV-ee, misplacing the stress or shortening the first vowel. Correction: emphasize the first syllable with a clear /iː/ and separate the syllables: /ˈliː.vi/. Practice by isolating the syllables and gradually blending.
Across US/UK/AU, the pronunciation remains /ˈliːvi/ with rhoticity not affecting vowel quality in this word. The first syllable holds a long E vowel; the second is a short high front vowel. Some British speakers may slightly reduce the final vowel or clip it in casual speech, but the standard remains two clear syllables with primary stress on the first. Australian generally aligns with /ˈliːvi/ as well, with a crisp /iː/ and tiny vowel length differences depending on individual accent.
The difficulty lies in maintaining two even syllables with proper vowel length and a crisp final /i/ while keeping the first syllable clearly stressed. Some speakers elongate the second vowel or blur vowel distinctness in rapid speech. Focus on the first syllable’s long /iː/ and a clean short /i/ in the second. Use slow, isolated practice, then speed up while preserving distinction in each syllable.
A notable feature is the stability of the first syllable stress and the long-then-short vowel pattern across major accents. There are no silent letters here; both syllables are voiced. The challenge is achieving a crisp /liː/ onset and a non-syllabic final vowel only when connected in fast speech. Emphasize the transition from /iː/ to /i/ in the second syllable and avoid turning it into /li-vee/ with a prolonged second vowel.
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