Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

zephyr

/ˈzɛfɚ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.85 in modern English

Syllables
zephyr
IPA
/ˈzɛfɚ/
23
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A light wind from the west.

verb

To blow or move like a zephyr, or light breeze.

Intransitive verb

verb

To blow or blow on gently like a zephyr; to cool or refresh with a gentle breeze.

Transitive verb

name

The god of the West Wind.

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Latin zephyrus (“west wind”), from Ancient Greek Ζέφυρος (Zéphuros). Doublet of zefir, zéphire, Zephyr, and Zephyrus. The confectionery sense is a semantic loan from Russian зефи́р (zefír).

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈzɛfɚ/
  • British English: /ˈzɛfə(ɹ)/

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Phrases

zephyr cloth zephyr lily zephyr shawl zephyr worsted zephyr yarn

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce zephyr?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈzɛfɚ/.
What does zephyr mean?
A light wind from the west.
Where does zephyr come from?
From Latin zephyrus (“west wind”), from Ancient Greek Ζέφυρος (Zéphuros). Doublet of zefir, zéphire, Zephyr, and Zephyrus. The confectionery sense is a semantic loan from Russian зефи́р (zefír).

How to pronounce zephyr

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