sur-VEYE-vuhl
/sɚˈvaɪvəl/
survival is pronounced sur-VEYE-vuhl (/sɚˈvaɪvəl/). Survival refers to the act or state of continuing to live or exist, especially in adverse conditions. It encompasses the strategies, skills, and resources people use to stay alive, secure shelter, food, and safety, and often implies endurance over time. In broader contexts, it can denote the persistence of an entity, system, or culture despite challenges.
Survival refers to the act or state of continuing to live or exist, especially in adverse conditions. It encompasses the strategies, skills, and resources people use to stay alive, secure shelter, food, and safety, and often implies endurance over time. In broader contexts, it can denote the persistence of an entity, system, or culture despite challenges.
"In the wild, your first priority is shelter and water for survival."
"The team trained for years to improve their survival odds during emergencies."
"The novel explores a group’s fight for survival after a shipwreck."
You say sur-VI-val with primary stress on the second syllable. Phonetically: /sɚˈvaɪ.vəl/ in US English, /səˈvaɪ.vəl/ in UK and Australian English. The initial 'sur' has a reduced vowel in non-stressed syllables, the middle vowel is a diphthong /aɪ/ as in 'high,' and the final 'val' ends with a light /əl/ cluster. Tip: keep the mouth lighter on the first syllable and fully articulate the diphthong in the second syllable.
Common errors: (1) shifting primary stress to the first syllable, making suR-VI-val sound unnatural; (2) mispronouncing the /ɪ/ as a short /ɪ/ or misplacing the /aɪ/ diphthong; (3) pronouncing the final /əl/ as a clear /əl/ or as /l/ without a schwa. Correction tips: keep /ə/ on the first syllable, stress stays on /ˈvaɪ/ (second syllable), and end with a weak /əl/—almost /əl/ with a relaxed tongue. Practice with isolation and then in words.
In US English, /sɚˈvaɪ.vəl/ features a rhotic /ɚ/ in the first syllable. UK/AU typically use /səˈvaɪ.vəl/, with non-rhoticity in many contexts, and the first syllable has a reduced schwa. The /ˈvaɪ/ diphthong remains consistent across accents. Final syllable often reduces to /əl/ in all, but US may carry a slightly clearer /ˌvəl/ partial. Pay attention to rhoticity and vowel quality differences by listening to native samples.
The difficulty mainly lies in the two-part stress pattern on the second syllable and the /ˈvaɪ/ diphthong, which requires precise mouth movement to avoid confusion with similar words. The ending /-vəl/ often reduces, so maintaining a clean, weak final vowel helps clarity. For non-native speakers, mastering the tension and release in /ˈvaɪ/ and producing a relaxed final /əl/ is the key challenge.
Yes. 'Survival' is a four-syllable word but only three distinct beats are prominent: sur- (reduced) with secondary weight, -vi- (the nucleus of the stressed syllable), and -val (light final). The primary stress is on the second syllable: sur-VI-val. This pattern makes it sound natural when spoken in continuous speech, with the mouth easing into the /aɪ/ diphthong and a light end. IPA cues help anchor the timing.
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Survival comes from the Old French survivance, from survivre ‘to survive’ (to outlive) from sur- ‘over, above’ + vivre ‘to live.’ The modern English noun survival emerged in the 15th–16th centuries, originally in the sense of “the act of remaining alive,” often in contexts of danger or long-terms need. By the 19th century it broadened to include endurance of conditions, circumstances, or institutions. The root vivre shares kinship with survivre in French and with Latin vivere. The word’s core meaning centers on continuing life despite threats, and its usage expanded to domains like business, technology, and social systems where continuity is valued. In contemporary usage, survival can imply both immediate lifelines (food, water, shelter) and longer-term persistence (cultural survival, species survival).
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "survival" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "survival" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "survival"
-val sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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