Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

serif

/ˈsɛɹɪf/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.64 in modern English

Syllables: serif
IPA: /ˈsɛɹɪf/

8

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

1

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A short line added to the end of a stroke in traditional typefaces, such as Times New Roman.

adj

Of a typeface, provided with serifs.

Example Sentences

"It is generally believed, by those who study such things, that serif typefaces are easier to read when reading a lot of words. The hickeys (serifs) on each letter tend to push our eye toward the next letter."

Etymology

From earlier ceriph, seriph, surryph, of obscure derivation. There are two (not directly interrelated) candidates for a possible Dutch origin: 1.) the noun schreef (“stroke”, now also “serif” as a semantic loan), related with schrapen (“to scrape”); and 2.) the verb schrafferen (“to provide with horizontal lines, to shade”), from Italian sgraffiare. For the latter, compare German Schraffe (“serif”), although this again may be a semantic loan based on the English word rather than original to it. Alternatively, from Late Latin cerificus (“waxen”), from Latin cera (“wax”), after the ruled lines used in writing on wax tablets.

Origin

Source language: Dutch

Word Breakdown

Root: -

Inflected Forms

serifs (plural)

Derived Forms

nonserif serifed serifless unserifed

Phrases

sans serif slab serif square serif

Synonyms

seriph

Homonyms

seraph (one pronunciation)

Antonyms

sans serif

Rhymes With

sheriff chief in chief relief brief belief beef leaf grief thief reef motif

Questions

How do you pronounce serif?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈsɛɹɪf/.
What does serif mean?: A short line added to the end of a stroke in traditional typefaces, such as Times New Roman.
Where does serif come from?: It is traced to Dutch.

How to pronounce serif

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