Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

tiff

/tɪf/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.03 in modern English

Syllables
tiff
IPA
/tɪf/
10
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
1
Syllables
3
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A (generally small) argument or disagreement; a petty quarrel, a spat.

Informal

noun

A brief outburst or period of bad temper; a snit; also (rare) any brief outburst (for example, of laughter).

Archaic; Informal

verb

To be involved in a (generally small) argument or disagreement; to squabble.

Informal; Intransitive verb

noun

Alternative letter-case form of TIFF (acronym of tagged image file format).

Informal

verb

Synonym of tiffin (“to eat a (light) midday meal or snack; to have lunch, to lunch”).

Indian usage; Informal; Intransitive verb

noun

A small draught or sip of liquor (especially diluted or poor quality liquor) or punch.

Archaic; Countable; Informal; Obsolete; Slang

noun

Liquor, especially diluted or poor quality liquor.

Archaic; Informal; Obsolete; Slang; Uncountable

verb

To drink (liquor), especially slowly or in small amounts; to sip.

Archaic; Informal; Obsolete; Slang; Transitive verb

Example Sentences

Etymology

The origin of the noun is unknown; it is possibly originally dialectal and may be onomatopoeic, representing the sound of a small puff of air or gas. The verb is derived from the noun.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: tiffen, tifer, *tipfōn

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /tɪf/
  • British English: /tɪf/

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Phrases

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Homonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce tiff?
The recorded pronunciation is /tɪf/.
What does tiff mean?
A (generally small) argument or disagreement; a petty quarrel, a spat.
Where does tiff come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce tiff

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