Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

sir

/sɜː/

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.06 in modern English

Syllables: sir
IPA: /sɜː/

3

Scrabble Score

3

Letters

1

Syllables

3

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A man of a higher rank or position.

noun

A respectful term of address to a man of higher rank or position, particularly

noun

A respectful term of address to a man of higher rank or position

noun

A respectful term of address to a man of higher rank or position

noun

A respectful term of address to a man of higher rank or position

noun

A respectful term of address to an adult male (often older), especially if his name or proper title is unknown.

verb

To address another individual using "sir".

Informal; Transitive verb

noun

Alternative letter-case form of sir.

Example Sentences

"Jeeves: Foreign travel often liberates emotions best kept in check, sir. The air of North America is notoriously stimulating in this regard, as witness the regrettable behavior of its inhabitants in 1776. B. Wooster: Hm? What happened in 1776, Jeeves? Jeeves: I prefer not to dwell on it, if it's convenient to you, sir."
"Just be careful. He gets whingy now if you don't address him as Sir John."
"Sir, yes sir."
"Here's my report, sir."
"Excuse me, sir, do you know the way to the art museum?"
"Knowledge, sir, should be free to all!"

Etymology

From Middle English sir, unstressed form of sire, borrowed from Old French sire (“master, sir, lord”), from Latin senior (“older, elder”), from senex (“old”). Doublet of seigneur, seignior, senhor, senior, señor, senyor, signore, and sire.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: sir, sire, senior

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /sɜː/
British English: /sɜː/

Usage

Inflected Forms

sirs (plural) saar (alternative, India) sirs (present, singular) sirring (participle, present) sirred (participle, past) sirred (past)

Derived Forms

mamsir nossuh siree siress sirji sirrah sirree surly yessir yessuh

Phrases

dear Sir dear Sir or Madam dear Sirs don't call me sir, I work for a living Sir Francis Drake Channel Sir John Lack-Latin sir sandwich SIR gene

Frequently Paired Words

senate senex senior sire ma'am miss madam lord

Rhymes With

were her per transfer prefer occur refer der inter fur entrepreneur stir

Questions

How do you pronounce sir?: The recorded pronunciation is /sɜː/.
What does sir mean?: A man of a higher rank or position.
Where does sir come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce sir

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