Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

serf

/sɝf/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.41 in modern English

Syllables
serf
IPA
/sɝf/
7
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A partially free peasant of a low hereditary class, attached like a slave to the land owned by a feudal lord and required to perform labour, enjoying minimal legal or customary rights.

noun

A similar agricultural labourer in 18th and 19th century Europe.

noun

A worker unit.

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Middle English serf, from Old French serf, from Latin servus (“slave, serf, servant”).

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /sɝf/
  • British English: /sɜːf/

Inflected Forms

serfs (plural)

Derived Forms

enserf microserf nonserf serfage serfdom serfhood serfish serfism serflike serfship

Frequently Paired Words

service servile servitor servitude servo slave

Synonyms

helot peasant peon villager villein

Homonyms

surf (fern–fir–fur merger)

Rhymes With

surf turf smurf murph cerf scherf murff earth perth dearth nerf perf

Questions

How do you pronounce serf?
The recorded pronunciation is /sɝf/.
What does serf mean?
A partially free peasant of a low hereditary class, attached like a slave to the land owned by a feudal lord and required to perform labour, enjoying minimal legal or customary rights.
Where does serf come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce serf

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