What does suave mean?
Word: Suave
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Suave means smooth, confident and charming in the way you behave with people.
Synonyms: charming
Word origin: From French suave, from Latin suavis.
How do you spell suave?
Syllables: suave
Tricky part: The start is the trap. Spoken, it sounds as if it begins with sw, so students write a w where the word has a u.
Watch out for: swave, swahv
Memory tip: A suave speaker can persuade anyone, and in both words the u after the s makes a w sound.
Suave in a sentence
Example 1: The suave host of the quiz show put every nervous child at ease.
Example 2: With his suave manner, the hotel manager calmed the confused guests.
Example 3: The suave diplomat always seemed to find the right word.
Fun Fact
Suave came into English in the Middle Ages with the sense of gracious and kindly. The polished social charm it suggests today is a much newer meaning.
Practise the CREST Way
Spellacadabra
Choose the correct option to make a meaningful word:
su_ve
a) o
b) i
c) e
d) a
Show answer
d) a. Although the sound differs, this is the vowel you see in wave.
Back to the Roots
Choose the correct option:
Suave comes from the Latin word suavis, which means ___.
a) quick and clever
b) tall and strong
c) calm and silent
d) sweet and pleasant
Show answer
d) sweet and pleasant. A suave person is pleasant to deal with, so the old sense still shows.
Word Puzzle
Match the words with their meanings:
1. suave 2. brash 3. meek a. quiet and quick to give way b. polished and at ease with people c. loud and too sure of yourself
a) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b
b) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c
c) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a
d) 1-c, 2-b, 3-a
Show answer
c) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a. Brash people push forward, meek people step back, and the word left over is the graceful one.
Word Tally
How many words are misspelt in the given sentence?
The suave presenter opened the award ceremony with an elegent joke, and the audience applauded warmly.
a) 0
b) 1
c) 3
d) 2
Show answer
b) 1. Elegant ends in ant; the other words are spelt correctly.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A suave guest at a party would most likely ___.
a) argue loudly with the other guests
b) forget all the names within a minute
c) move easily from one group to the next
d) stand silently in a corner of the room
Show answer
c) move easily from one group to the next
2. Which phrase best describes a suave reply?
a) harsh and hurried
b) long and confusing
c) quiet and unsure
d) tactful and well judged
Show answer
d) tactful and well judged
