English pronunciation · Words Starting with L
Leaf Pronunciation
Leaf is pronounced LEEF, IPA /ˈlif/.
LEEF
US /ˈlif/ · UK /ˈliːf/
Syllables: LEEF (1 syllable)
noun: The flat green growth on the stem of a plant, or a single sheet of a book.
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Leaf in a Sentence
- A dry leaf blew in under the door.
- Every leaf on the vine had turned red.
- He turned over a leaf of the ledger.
Common Mispronunciations of Leaf
Not LIF
Chief and brief carry the vowel this word needs, long and tense. Clipped short it becomes the verb lift without its t.
Not LEEV
The close is breathy rather than voiced, which is the single sound keeping leaf apart from leave.
Tip: The plural swaps the f for a v and adds a buzz: one leaf, two leaves, as with knife and wife.
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