Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

kerchief

/ˈkɝ.t͡ʃɪf/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 2.12 in modern English

Syllables
ker-chief
IPA
/ˈkɝ.t͡ʃɪf/
20
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A piece of cloth used to cover the head; a bandana.

Dated

verb

To cover with a kerchief.

Dated; Transitive verb

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Middle English keverchef, coverchef et al., from Old French couvrechief, from couvrir (“to cover”) + chief (“head”). Compare curfew.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: keverchef, couvrechief

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈkɝ.t͡ʃɪf/
  • British English: /ˈkɜː.tʃɪf/

Usage

Inflected Forms

kerchiefs (plural) kerchieves (plural) kerchiefs (present, singular) kerchiefing (participle, present) kerchiefed (participle, past) kerchiefed (past)

Derived Forms

handkerchief headkerchief kerchiefed kerchieflike neckerchief

Phrases

display kerchief

Questions

How do you pronounce kerchief?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈkɝ.t͡ʃɪf/.
What does kerchief mean?
A piece of cloth used to cover the head; a bandana.
Where does kerchief come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce kerchief

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