Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

iffy

/ˈɪfi/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.78 in modern English

Syllables: iffy
IPA: /ˈɪfi/

13

Scrabble Score

4

Letters

2

Syllables

3

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Of dubious authenticity, legitimacy or legality.

Slang

adj

Uncertain or chancy; risky.

Example Sentences

"He's selling new CD players for £20 each – that sounds a bit iffy to me."
"The weather is still iffy for Saturday's rocket launch."
"That potato salad smells a bit iffy. Don't chance it — it's not worth salmonellosis."
"“He’s underground, anyway, so reception would be iffy.”"
""Definitely something iffy, that's for sure.”"

Etymology

From if + -y.

Usage

Slang

Inflected Forms

iffier (comparative) iffiest (superlative)

Derived Forms

iffily iffiness

Synonyms

dodgy dubious fishy dicey iffy questionable shady shonky sketchy

Homonyms

iife

Antonyms

absolute reliable solid

Rhymes With

jiffy griffey spiffy sniffy griffy giffy griffie riffey griffee diffee liffey biffy

Questions

How do you pronounce iffy?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈɪfi/.
What does iffy mean?: Of dubious authenticity, legitimacy or legality.
Where does iffy come from?: From if + -y.

How to pronounce iffy

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