Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

-free

/fɹiː/

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: 5.63 in modern English

Syllables: -free
IPA: /fɹiː/

7

Scrabble Score

4

Letters

2

Syllables

3

Unique Chars

Meaning

suffix

Free from; devoid of; without.

Example Sentences

"Sweetgreen told CNN the company was “proud to share that we are currently in the process of rolling out new PFAS-free focaccia bags that will be available in all Sweetgreen locations by the end of Q2.”"

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *preyH- Proto-Indo-European *-ós Proto-Indo-European *priHós Proto-Germanic *frijwaz Proto-West Germanic *friu Old English frēo Middle English -fre English -free From Middle English -fre, -freo (as in scotfre, gauelfre, gafolfreo, etc.), from Old English -frēo ("free; free from"; as in scotfrēo, gafolfrēo), from Proto-West Germanic *-frī (“-free”). Compare Dutch -vrij (“-free”), German -frei (“-free”), Danish -fri (“-free”), Swedish -fri (“-free”), Norwegian -fri (“-free”). More at free.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: -fre, frēo, *-frī

Synonyms

an- ex- -less

Homonyms

free

Rhymes With

the be he we me she see three free big three de re

Questions

How do you pronounce -free?: The recorded pronunciation is /fɹiː/.
What does -free mean?: Free from; devoid of; without.
Where does -free come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce -free

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