2 syllables: Re, vere. Stress on vere.
riv-IR
/ɹɪˈvɪɹ/
Revere is pronounced riv-IR (/ɹɪˈvɪɹ/). It has two syllables (Re-vere), with the stress on "vere". Revere is a verb meaning to feel deep respect or admiration for someone or something, often with a sense of reverence. It can also function as a noun in historical or ceremonial contexts, though less common in modern usage. The term emphasizes profound esteem and honor, sometimes accompanied by ritual or tradition.
nounRevere is a verb meaning to feel deep respect or admiration for someone or something, often with a sense of reverence. It can also function as a noun in historical or ceremonial contexts, though less common in modern usage. The term emphasizes profound esteem and honor, sometimes accompanied by ritual or tradition.
"She came to revere the pioneers who built the town from nothing."
"Many fans revere the artist for his groundbreaking work in the 1980s."
"In the ceremony, the elder was revered as a guardian of village history."
Pronounce as ri-VEER with the second syllable stressed. IPA US: /rɪˈvɪər/, UK/AU: /rɪˈvɪə/. It starts with a short /r/ followed by a reduced /ɪ/ (as in 'sit'), then a clear /v/ and a long /ɪə/ (in non-rhotic accents the ending may be a short schwa-less /ə/). Mouth positions: raise the tongue to the alveolar ridge for /ɹ/, then a light, bunched /ɪ/ before the lip-rounded /v/, and finish with a steady, tense /ɪə/ or /ɪə/. Audio reference: you’ll hear a crisp second syllable with a rounded vowel before the final sonority. Listen for the emphasis on the second syllable.
Common mistakes: 1) Dropping the second syllable or making it unstressed as /ˈrɪvɪr/ (incorrect). 2) Merging /vɪə/ into /viə/ or /viər/ without a clear diphthong; 3) Overpronouncing the second vowel as /ɪˈɪə/ or misplacing tongue for /ɪə/. Corrections: keep /ɪə/ as a tight diphthong with the jaw dropping slightly and the tongue high-mid; ensure secondary stress on the second syllable and avoid a trailing /r/ if speaking non-rhotically. Practice with minimal pair contrasts to lock the /v/ + /ɪə/ sequence.
Differences: US tends to produce /rɪˈvɪər/ with a rhotic /r/ and a clear /ɹ/ onset; UK/AU are typically non-rhotic, so the final /r/ may be lenient or deleted, yielding /rɪˈvɪə/ or /rɪˈvɪə/. The /ə/ is reduced in casual speech; the second syllable remains stressed. Vowel quality can shift slightly: US may have a higher /ɪə/; UK/AU may lean toward a smoother /ɪə/ without a pronounced post-vocalic /r/. Emphasis remains on the second syllable in all varieties.
The difficulty lies in the two-part vowel sequence /ɪə/ after /v/ and the potential for mis-stressing the second syllable. Speakers may default to /rɪˈvɪər/ with a pronounced final /r/ or misplace the primary stress, saying /rɪˈviːər/ or /ˌriːˈvɪə/. Mastery requires a crisp bite-sized /ɪ/ then a rounded /ə/ in the diphthong, plus maintaining the stress on the second syllable across accents.
Unique feature: the second syllable carries the primary stress, and the vowel cluster /ɪə/ is a deliberate, tight diphthong rather than a simple /i/ or /eə/. Ensure the /v/ is clearly enunciated with a clean transition to the /ɪə/ glide. In careful speech you’ll hear a subtle length on the second syllable and a smoothly rounded final vowel, with slight variation across accents in the presence or absence of post-vocalic /r/.
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Revere comes from the Latin reverēre, meaning to stand in awe of, to fear with respect. The root rever- derives from reverentia (reverence), which combines re- (again, back) with vereri (to fear, to respect). In Classical Latin, reverērī described both fear and veneration, often in religious or ceremonial contexts. The verb entered English in the late 14th or early 15th century with senses related to both fear and respect, gradually narrowing in common usage to mean deep respect rather than fear. Over time, revere also produced related forms such as reverence (the noun) and reverent (adjective). By the 17th–18th centuries, the word carried ceremonial and moral weight, appearing in literature and sermons to denote sacred admiration. Its modern usage emphasizes admiration and esteem rather than fear, though the original sense of awe persists in phrases like “revere the memory of.” The word’s evolution reflects a cultural shift from fear-based respect to honor-based esteem, keeping its root in the concept of steadfast veneration.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Revere" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Revere" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Revere"
-ear sounds
-eer sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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