Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

civvy street

/ˈsɪvi ˌstɹit/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.57 in modern English

Syllables: civ-vy street
IPA: /ˈsɪvi ˌstɹit/

22

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

2

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The condition or status of a civilian; civilian life.

British usage; Slang; Uncountable

Example Sentences

"You might have been in Civvy Street / Instead of in the fight; / But it serves you right, / You shouldn't have joined [the navy], / It jolly well serves you right."
"In civvy street he had been a bus cleaner."

Etymology

From civvy (“(informal) civilian”, adjective and noun) + street.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈsɪvi ˌstɹit/
British English: /ˈsɪvi stɹiːt/

Usage

Questions

How do you pronounce civvy street?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈsɪvi ˌstɹit/.
What does civvy street mean?: The condition or status of a civilian; civilian life.
Where does civvy street come from?: From civvy (“(informal) civilian”, adjective and noun) + street.

How to pronounce civvy street

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