Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

selfish

/ˈsɛl.fɪʃ/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.11 in modern English

Syllables
self-ish
IPA
/ˈsɛl.fɪʃ/
13
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

Example Sentences

Etymology

From self + -ish. Compare Danish selvisk (“selfish”), Swedish självisk (“selfish”).

Word Breakdown

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Phrases

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Antonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce selfish?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈsɛl.fɪʃ/.
What does selfish mean?
Holding one's own self-interest as the standard for decision making.
Where does selfish come from?
From self + -ish. Compare Danish selvisk (“selfish”), Swedish självisk (“selfish”).

How to pronounce selfish

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