Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

serve time

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.83 in modern English

Syllables: serve -time
IPA

14

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

2

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To be confined in prison or a similar institution, typically for wrongdoing that violates the law.

Inflected Forms

serves time (present, singular) serving time (participle, present) served time (participle, past) served time (past)

Questions

What does serve time mean?: To be confined in prison or a similar institution, typically for wrongdoing that violates the law.

How to pronounce serve time

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