Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

cipher

/ˈsaɪfɚ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.12 in modern English

Syllables: ci-pher
IPA: /ˈsaɪfɚ/

13

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A numeric character.

Dated

noun

Any text character.

Obsolete

noun

A combination or interweaving of letters, as the initials of a name.

Archaic

noun

A method of transforming a text in order to conceal its meaning.

noun

A cryptographic system using an algorithm that converts letters or sequences of bits into ciphertext.

noun

Ciphertext; a message concealed via a cipher.

noun

A grouping of three digits in a number, especially when delimited by commas or periods.

Obsolete

noun

A fault in an organ valve which causes a pipe to sound continuously without the key having been pressed.

Example Sentences

"In ſucceeding times this vnderſtanding wiſedome began to be written in Ciphers, and Characters, and letters bearing the forme of beaſtes, birds, and other creatures; […]"
"a painter's cipher"
"an engraver's cipher"
"Just then, an attendant to whom the Queen had whispered returned; and taking a small case from her hand, Anne produced a bracelet somewhat similar to the very one with which Francesca had parted, excepting that it had her cipher, surrounded by a wreath of fleurs-de-lis. "Louis, will you offer this to Mademoiselle Carrara?""
"The message was written in a simple cipher. Anyone could figure it out."
"He was very early engaged in great ſecrets: For his fatherr, apprehending of what fatal conſequence it would have been to the King’s affairs if his correſpondence had been diſcovered by unfaithful Secretaries, engaged him when very young to write all his letters to England in cypher; ſo that he was generally half the day writing in cypher, or decyphering, and was ſo diſcrect, as well as faithful, that nothing was ever diſcovered by him."

Etymology

14th century. From Middle English cifre, from Old French cyfre, cyffre (French chiffre), ultimately from Arabic صِفْر (ṣifr, “zero, empty”), from صَفَرَ (ṣafara, “to be empty”). Doublet of chiffre and zero. Sense 8 (a fault in an organ valve) may be a different word.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: cifre, cyfre, صِفْر, ص ف ر

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈsaɪfɚ/
British English: /ˈsaɪfə/

Usage

Inflected Forms

ciphers (plural) cypher (alternative, UK) ciphers (present, singular) ciphering (participle, present) ciphered (participle, past) ciphered (past)

Derived Forms

cipherdom cipherene cipherhood cipherlike ciphertext ciphony cypherpunk decipher encipher subcipher telecipher uncipher

Phrases

Baconian cipher Bacon's cipher Beaufort cipher bifid cipher block cipher Caesar cipher classical cipher Feistel cipher

Synonyms

number numeral digit device monogram code rotation nobody nonentity nothing absolute zero also-ran

Rhymes With

decipher pfeiffer cypher heifer lifer pfeifer fifer phifer leifer slifer pifer schleifer

Questions

How do you pronounce cipher?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈsaɪfɚ/.
What does cipher mean?: A numeric character.
Where does cipher come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce cipher

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “cipher”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈsaɪfɚ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “cipher”.
Repeat and practice — Say “cipher” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.