Pronunciation: [na͡ɪˈiːv] (IPA) 
The word "naive" is often misspelled due to its unusual pronunciation. The correct spelling of this word is /naɪˈiːv/, which is pronounced as "nah-eev." The letters "ai" together produce the sound /aɪ/ as in the word "eye", followed by a long "ee" sound, represented by the letter "e" at the end. The word means lacking in experience, wisdom, or judgment, and it's important to get the spelling right to avoid confusion or misunderstandings.
Naive is an adjective that describes someone who lacks experience, wisdom, or judgment in a particular area, and as a result, tends to be easily deceived, manipulated, or misled. It refers to individuals who have a childlike innocence and trust in others, often failing to recognize the ulterior motives or hidden agendas of those around them. Naive individuals typically exhibit a simplistic understanding of the world or a specific situation, often due to their lack of exposure to its complexities or their limited capacity to grasp them. They are characterized by their tendency to believe or accept things at face value without questioning or scrutinizing them critically.
Naive individuals may display a marked lack of suspicion or skepticism, rendering them vulnerable to exploitation or manipulation by others who take advantage of their credulity. Their innocence can make them easy targets for scams, deception, and gullibility. With their open-mindedness and absence of cynicism, naive individuals often believe in the inherent goodness of people and struggle to recognize or understand dishonest or deceptive behavior.
In summary, naive refers to someone who lacks experience or worldly knowledge, projecting an innocent and trusting demeanor. This lack of awareness can make them susceptible to manipulation or exploitation by others with ulterior motives, as their innocence may prevent them from discerning deceit.
Having unaffected simplicity; artless; ingenuous.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "naive" comes from the Old French word "naif" or "naïf" (feminine form: "naïve"), which meant "native, natural, genuine" in the 13th century. This Old French term derived from the Latin "nativus", meaning "innate" or "native". Over time, the meaning of "naive" evolved to refer to someone who is innocent, simple, or lacking worldly experience.
