Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

clef

/klɛf/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 2.45 in modern English

Syllables
clef
IPA
/klɛf/
9
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A symbol found on a musical staff that indicates the pitches represented by the lines and the spaces on the staff

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French clef, from Latin clāvis (“a key”). Doublet of clave and clavis.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: clāvis, *(s)kleh₂w-

Inflected Forms

clefs (plural) cleff (alternative, obsolete) cliff (alternative, obsolete)

Derived Forms

cleffer cleflike

Phrases

alto clef baritone clef bass clef C clef F clef G clef neutral clef octave clef

Rhymes With

jeff chef deaf ref pdf geoff steph neff rpf sheff leff sbf

Questions

How do you pronounce clef?
The recorded pronunciation is /klɛf/.
What does clef mean?
A symbol found on a musical staff that indicates the pitches represented by the lines and the spaces on the staff
Where does clef come from?
It is traced to Latin.

How to pronounce clef

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