English pronunciation · Words Starting with B
Bereft Pronunciation
Bereft is pronounced ber-EFT, IPA /bɝˈɛft/.
ber-EFT
US /bɝˈɛft/ · UK /bɪˈrɛft/
Syllables: ber · EFT (2 syllables, stress on syllable 2)
adjective: Deprived of something, or left desolate by a loss.
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Bereft in a Sentence
- The house was bereft of furniture when they moved in.
- He looked bereft standing on the empty platform.
- Bereft of an argument, she changed the subject.
Common Mispronunciations of Bereft
Not BE-reft
EFT is the only loud beat and the opening ber barely registers. A heavy front makes it sound like a surname from the Low Countries.
Not buh-REEFT
Keep that stressed vowel short, the e of left. Stretching it to ee pulls the word towards bereaved, which is close in sense but not the same.
Tip: Bereft and bereaved come from the same old verb bereave, but bereft takes an of, as in bereft of hope.
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