2 syllables: Re, vile. Stress on vile.
ree-VEYEL
/ɹiˈvaɪl/
Revile is pronounced ree-VEYEL (/ɹiˈvaɪl/). It has two syllables (Re-vile), with the stress on "vile". Revile is a verb meaning to subject someone or something to contempt, scorn, or derision. It implies strong, public or intense denigration, often through harsh language or actions. Although commonly used as a verb, it can appear in noun form in some contexts (less standard), but its primary usage remains as a verb describing the act of railing or vilifying someone.
nounRevile is a verb meaning to subject someone or something to contempt, scorn, or derision. It implies strong, public or intense denigration, often through harsh language or actions. Although commonly used as a verb, it can appear in noun form in some contexts (less standard), but its primary usage remains as a verb describing the act of railing or vilifying someone.
"The rival team reviled their opponents with chants that crossed the line into insult."
"Critics revile the policy, calling it unfair and dangerous for the community."
"She reviled the decision, venting her anger on social media."
You pronounce it re-VILE with primary stress on the second syllable. Phonetically: /rɪˈvaɪl/. Start with a short, lax /ɪ/ in the first syllable, then a strong, long diphthong /aɪ/ as you move to the final /l/. The mouth opens slightly for /ri/ and closes into the /aɪ/ glide; the lips are neutral for /r/ and /ɪ/, and final /l/ is light but clear. Listen to native usage and mimic the rhythm: unstressed-then-stressed syllable carries the emphasis.
Common errors: misplacing stress on the first syllable (re-VILE vs RE-vile) or merging the two syllables into a single dull vowel. Another mistake is pronouncing the /ɪ/ as a full schwa before /ˈvaɪl/, which flattens the word. Correction: keep the first syllable with a clear /ɪ/ and emphasize the second syllable with /aɪ/, so /rɪˈvaɪl/. Practice by saying ‘rih-vile’ slowly, then speed up while maintaining the /ˈvaɪl/ nucleus.
Across US/UK/AU, the pronunciation is largely the same: /rɪˈvaɪl/. The main differences are subtle: US tends to be slightly more rhotic and relaxed on the /ɪ/ in unstressed syllables, UK may have a crisper /r/ and slight vowel sharpening, and AU often mirrors US vowel timing with a softer /l/ at the end. The primary feature is the /ɪ/ vs /aɪ/ sequence and the final /l/ resonance, which remains consistent, but accentual vowel quality can affect perceived clarity and speed.
The difficulty lies in the stress shift and the diphthong /aɪ/. People often say ‘RE-vile’ with weak stress on the first syllable or reduce /ɪ/ to a quick schwa. The key challenge is producing a clear /ɪ/ before the diphthong and landing the final /l/ without adding extra vowel. Practice by isolating /ɪ/ and /aɪ/, then blend into /rɪˈvaɪl/ with a crisp, lightly aspirated /l/ at the end.
Yes: the letter i in the first syllable is a short /ɪ/ rather than the longer /iː/ you might expect from similar-looking words. The 're-' prefix here is unstressed; primary stress falls on /ˈvaɪl/. A practical tip is to say ‘rih-VILE’ with a quick, light onset for /r/, ensuring the /ɪ/ is short and the /aɪ/ is prominent. This makes the rhythm natural and avoids the common ‘ree-VILE’ mispronunciation.
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US: Typical rhotic pronunciation; keep /r/ pronounced, /ɹ/ with a near-half-rolled onset; slower transition into /aɪ/. UK: Slightly crisper /r/ in non-rhotic regions; the /ɪ/ remains short; /l/ can be more velarized depending on speaker. AU: Similar to US but often with more vowel clarity in diphthongs; final /l/ can sound lighter or more elided. Across all, the key is clearly articulating /ɪ/ then /aɪ/ and final /l/. Use IPA references: /rɪˈvaɪl/; compare with /ˌriːˈvaɪl/ (less common).
Revile comes from the prefix re- meaning 'again' or 'intensely' combined with the Latin vituperare, meaning 'to blame, censure, or detest.' Vituperare itself derives from vitum 'fault, defect' and parare 'to prepare' in some compound senses, but the core meaning centers on harsh condemnation. In Middle English, revilen or revellen appeared in various texts to express harsh abuse, denigration, and contempt toward individuals or ideas. The modern English verb revile, with its stress pattern re-VILE, crystallized in the 16th to 17th centuries as literary and political discourse intensified polemics. The noun form revile is less common; most usages remain verb-centered. Over time, revile has retained its strong negative connotation of public shaming and vilification, often in rhetoric, journalism, and political commentary.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Revile" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Revile" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Revile"
-ile sounds
-yle sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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