English pronunciation · Words Starting with R
Received Pronunciation
Received is pronounced ri-SEEVD, IPA /rəˈsivd/.
ri-SEEVD
US /rəˈsivd/ · UK /rɪˈsiːvd/
Syllables: ri · SEEVD (2 syllables, stress on syllable 2)
verb (past tense and past participle of receive): Got or accepted something that was sent, given, or delivered to you.
Audio for the American and British pronunciations plays on this page with JavaScript enabled.
Received in a Sentence
- I received your email this morning and will reply by Friday.
- She received a warm welcome from the whole team.
- The package was received in good condition.
Common Mispronunciations of Received
Not ri-SEEV-ed
The -ed ending is a single d sound here, not a separate syllable. English only adds a syllable for -ed after a t or d sound (needed, wanted); after a v sound it is just d.
Not REE-seevd
The stress falls on the second syllable. The first is a quick, reduced vowel, as in the verb receive itself.
Tip: Two syllables, stress on the second: ri-SEEVD. Say receive, then close it with a d.
What is Received Pronunciation?
Received Pronunciation, or RP, is the name of the traditional standard accent of British English, the one long associated with the BBC, private schools, and dictionaries. It is non-rhotic, so the r in car and butter is not pronounced, and it uses a long ah in bath, grass, and can't where American English uses the short a of cat. Only a small minority of British speakers use RP today, but it remains the model most British dictionaries transcribe, which is why the UK pronunciations on this site follow it. Received here just means accepted, as in the received wisdom.
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