Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

kefir

/kəˈfɪə(ɹ)/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 2.13 in modern English

Syllables: ke-fir
IPA: /kəˈfɪə(ɹ)/

12

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A fermented milk drink from the Caucasus and Eastern Europe, similar to yogurt but more liquid.

Uncountable

noun

Alternative form of kafir.

Example Sentences

"Water kefir grains differ from milk kefir grains and are generally used to make kefirs based on fruit juices or sugared waters."
"Mason jars are great for making kefirs."
"Commercially made kefirs on the other hand have seen the development of starter cultures that make the whole process more efficient and quicker while also providing longer product shelf lives."

Etymology

Borrowed from Russian кефи́р (kefír); see that entry for more.

Origin

Source language: Russian

Word Breakdown

Root: кефи́р

Usage

Uncountable

Inflected Forms

kefirs (plural) keefir (alternative) kephir (alternative)

Derived Forms

kefiran

Phrases

kefir grain

Questions

How do you pronounce kefir?: The recorded pronunciation is /kəˈfɪə(ɹ)/.
What does kefir mean?: A fermented milk drink from the Caucasus and Eastern Europe, similar to yogurt but more liquid.
Where does kefir come from?: It is traced to Russian.

How to pronounce kefir

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