To pronounce "caliph", say CAL-iph — 2 syllables, IPA /ˈkeɪ̪lɪf/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.
caliph
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2
Syllables
6
Letters
/ˈkeɪ̪lɪf/
IPA
"caliph" has 2 syllables: cal-iph. It rhymes with calif and kaliph, if that helps it stick.
Sounds exactly like: calaf, khalaf — easy to mix up when writing.
noun
“The Abbasid caliphs patronized art and science beside religious developments ushering in the Islamic Golden Age when their capital Baghdad began to flourish as a center of knowledge, culture and trade.”
Real example sentences from Tatoeba (CC-BY) — tap to hear each one, or see it used on YouGlish.
Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.
"Caliph" has 2 syllables: cal · iph.
The IPA transcription of "caliph" is /ˈkeɪ̪lɪf/.
Caliph: The political leader of the Muslim world, successor of Muhammad's political authority, not religious or spiritual.
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