Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

cliff

/klɪf/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.10 in modern English

Syllables
cliff
IPA
/klɪf/
13
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A vertical (or nearly vertical) rock face.

noun

A point beyond which something abruptly fails or decreases in value, performance, etc.

noun

Obsolete form of clef.

Obsolete

name

A diminutive of the male given name Clifford or Clifton.

name

A surname.

name

An unincorporated community and coal town in Floyd County, Kentucky, United States.

name

A census-designated place in Grant County, New Mexico, United States.

name

A hamlet in North Warwickshire district, Warwickshire, England (OS grid ref SP2198).

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Middle English clyf, from Old English clif, from Proto-West Germanic *klib, from Proto-Germanic *klibą.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: *gleybʰ-, clyf, clif, *klib, *klibą

Usage

Inflected Forms

cliffs (plural)

Derived Forms

Cleveland cliffage cliffbound cliffbrake cliffdrop cliffed cliffgreen cliffhanger cliffing cliffless clifflet clifflike

Phrases

alto cliff ambulance at the bottom of a cliff American cliff swallow bass cliff benefit cliff benefits cliff bird cliff cliff-bound

Frequently Paired Words

bluff

Synonyms

precipice drop drop-off

Rhymes With

if stiff sniff riff whiff diff schiff tiff biff dif griff skiff

Questions

How do you pronounce cliff?
The recorded pronunciation is /klɪf/.
What does cliff mean?
A vertical (or nearly vertical) rock face.
Where does cliff come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce cliff

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