Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

relief

/rɪˈlif/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.55 in modern English

Syllables
re-lief
IPA
/rɪˈlif/
9
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The removal of stress or discomfort.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

The feeling associated with the removal of stress or discomfort.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

Release from a post or duty, as when replaced by another.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

The person who takes over a shift for another.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

Aid or assistance offered in time of need.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

Military assistance to break a siege or an encirclement.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

Court-ordered compensation, aid, or protection, a redress.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

A lowering of a tax through special provisions; tax relief.

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Old French relief (“assistance”), from Old French relever (“to relieve”), from Latin relevare (“to raise up, make light”). See also relieve.

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /rɪˈlif/
  • British English: /rɪˈliːf/

Usage

Inflected Forms

reliefs (plural) more relief (comparative) most relief (superlative)

Derived Forms

antirelief demirelief epirelief hyporelief microrelief photorelief reliefful reliefless relieflike relieve

Phrases

ancillary relief breathe a sigh of relief comic relief corollary relief debt relief half-relief high relief hydrostatic pressure relief system

Synonyms

ease alleviation liss respite comfort consolation release relief solace stand-in substitute backup

Rhymes With

chief brief belief beef leaf grief thief reef disbelief motif sharif bas-relief

Questions

How do you pronounce relief?
The recorded pronunciation is /rɪˈlif/.
What does relief mean?
The removal of stress or discomfort.
Where does relief come from?
It is traced to Old French.

How to pronounce relief

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