How to Pronounce Stiff

To pronounce "stiff", say STIFF — one syllable, IPA /stɪf/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

stiff

Tap to hear · American accent

Accent

If an accent sounds the same, your device is missing that voice — it falls back to the closest one.

Speed

Practice: Record & Compare

Record yourself saying stiff, then compare with the target. Your audio stays on this device — nothing is uploaded.

Syllable

Letters

/stɪf/

IPA

"stiff" is a single-syllable word — say it in one clean beat. It rhymes with whiff and biff, if that helps it stick.

noun

An average person, usually male, of no particular distinction, skill, or education, often a working stiff or lucky stiff.
“A Working Stiff's Manifesto: A Memoir of Thirty Jobs I Quit, Nine That Fired Me, and Three I Can't Remember was published in 2003.”
A person who is deceived, as a mark or pigeon in a swindle.
“She convinced the stiff to go to her hotel room, where her henchman was waiting to rob him.”

verb

To fail to pay that which one owes (implicitly or explicitly) to another, especially by departing hastily.
“Realizing he had forgotten his wallet, he stiffed the taxi driver when the cab stopped for a red light.”
To cheat someone

adjective

(of an object) Rigid; hard to bend; inflexible.
(of policies and rules and their application and enforcement) Inflexible; rigid.

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.

How many syllables are in "stiff"?▾

"Stiff" has one syllable.

What is the IPA transcription of "stiff"?▾

The IPA transcription of "stiff" is /stɪf/.

What does "stiff" mean?▾

Stiff: An average person, usually male, of no particular distinction, skill, or education, often a working stiff or lucky stiff.

Want the definition, translations into 8 languages, and read-aloud for full sentences?