Pronunciation guide

How to pronounce naive

ny-EEV - two syllables, stress at the end (also written 'naive' with two dots)

US/naɪˈiv/

naɪiv

UK/naɪˈiːv/

naɪiːv

New to IPA symbols? Read the IPA guide.

Common mistake

Two syllables - 'ny-EEV', not one ('nyve') and not 'NYE-eev'.

What “naive” means

Lacking worldly experience, wisdom, or judgement; unsophisticated.

Not having been exposed to something.

In a sentence

  • She was naive about the dangers of online scams and trusted the message at first glance.
  • The story presents a naive protagonist who believes everyone means well.

Say it out loud a few times, then check yourself.

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Definitions and examples are derived from Wiktionary, used under CC BY-SA 4.0, then edited by QuickPronounce. Pronunciation data draws on CMUdict.