VER-uh-feye
/ˈvɛɹəˌfaɪ/
verify is pronounced VER-uh-feye (/ˈvɛɹəˌfaɪ/). Verify means to establish the truth, accuracy, or validity of something, often by checking evidence or corroborating information. It implies a careful, formal process of confirmation, usually through data, documents, or sources. In everyday use, it also covers confirming details like identity or compliance before action or judgment.
Verify means to establish the truth, accuracy, or validity of something, often by checking evidence or corroborating information. It implies a careful, formal process of confirmation, usually through data, documents, or sources. In everyday use, it also covers confirming details like identity or compliance before action or judgment.
"The auditor will verify the calculations before approving the report."
"You should verify your account by entering the code sent to your phone."
"Researchers verified the results by conducting a replication study."
Pronounce as /ˈvɛrɪˌfaɪ/ (US) or /ˈverɪˌfaɪ/ (UK/AU). Start with a clear /v/ buzzy sound, then the stressed syllable /ˈvɛr/ (or /ˈver/ in UK/AU), followed by /ɪ/ (short i) and a final diphthong /aɪ/ as in ‘eye.’ Ensure the second syllable carries secondary stress, so the rhythm is VER-i-fy, not ve-RI-fy. Mouth position: upper teeth on lower lip for /v/, lax mid-front vowel for /ɛ/ or /e/ depending on accent, and rounded, high-to-low glide for /aɪ/. Audio reference: use a pronunciation tool to hear native speaker selections and mimic the timing of the word’s three syllables.
Two frequent errors: (1) Treating it as two syllables with equal stress or misplacing stress (ve-RI-fy). (2) Slurring the final /aɪ/ into a schwa or shortening it to /iː/ (ver-i-fie). Correction tips: emphasize the first syllable CHUNK /ˈvɛr/ clearly, keep /ɪ/ as a light, quick vowel in the second syllable, and finish with a crisp /aɪ/ glide. Practice with a 2–3 second pause between syllables to lock rhythm, and pay attention to the diphthong in the final syllable to avoid a clipped ending.
In US English, /ˈvɛrɪˌfaɪ/ with a rhotic /r/ and a clear /ɪ/ before /faɪ/. UK/AU typically show /ˈverɪˌfaɪ/ with a shorter /ɪ/ and less pronounced rhotics in some non-rhotic varieties; the /r/ is often not pronounced strongly in RP, but in AU there can be a light rhotic coloring depending on speaker. The final /aɪ/ remains a distinct diphthong across all accents. The main difference is the vowel quality in the first syllable and the realization of the rhotic /r/ in US versus non-rhotic British varieties.
Three challenges: (1) balancing the short /ɛ/ (or /e/ in some accents) with the unstressed /ɪ/ before the /ˈfaɪ/ diphthong, which can blur the syllable boundary. (2) The final /aɪ/ diphthong requires precise tongue movement from mid-front to high-front with a slight rise in the jaw. (3) Maintaining the correct rhythm where the primary stress is on the first syllable and the second syllable carries secondary emphasis, which is easy to flatten in rapid speech.
The word has three syllables with decisive first-syllable stress and a prominent, audible final diphthong /aɪ/. The challenge lies in preserving articulatory precision across the three phonetic units: ensure /v/ is breathy but voiced, /ɪ/ is short and clean, and /aɪ/ is a distinct glide. Additionally, keep a crisp separation between /ˈvɛr/ and /ɪ/ to avoid merging into a single syllable in fast speech.
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US: rhotic /r/ is fully pronounced; keep /v/ strong and lips slightly spread; US /ɛ/ is lax but clear. UK: more clipped vowels; /r/ often not pronounced in non-rhotic varieties; maintain /v/ with strong friction; AU: variable rhoticity, often closer to US in careful speech; favor a slightly broader /ɔ/ in some speakers. Across all: keep /ˈvɛrɪ/ or /ˈverɪ/ with a crisp schwa or short i before the final /faɪ/. IPA reminders: US /ˈvɛrɪˌfaɪ/, UK /ˈverɪˌfaɪ/, AU /ˈverɪˌfaɪ/; practice with minimal pairs to lock vowel quality differences.
Verify derives from the Latin verus ‘true’ and root fari related to ‘to speak,’ through Old French verifieor and Middle English verifie. The core idea shifted from ‘to prove true’ to ‘to confirm the truth by evidence.’ The verb form emerges in English in the 14th–15th centuries, carrying a sense of testing or authenticating claims. Over time, verify broadened from legal or clerical contexts (verifying documents, signatures) to general usage in science, technology, and everyday life (verifying data, emails, or identities). The word’s semantic field pairs with other confirmatory terms like attest and corroborate, while in modern digital contexts it often pairs with verbs of action (verify login, verify sources). The evolution reflects a move from formal, authoritative proof to accessible, user-driven confirmation. First known uses appear in medieval legal and scholastic texts where truth-claims required verification before endorsement. The English form consolidated around the 16th–18th centuries as literacy and bureaucratic processes expanded, embedding a precise sense of cross-checking against established facts or records.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "verify" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "verify" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "verify"
-ify sounds
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