How to Pronounce Surf

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

surf

Tap to hear · American accent

Accent

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Speed

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1

Syllable

4

Letters

/sɜːf/

IPA

💡 Tip for remembering “surf”

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

Sounds exactly like: serf, cerf — easy to mix up when writing.

What does surf mean?

noun

  1. Waves that break on an ocean shoreline.
  2. An instance or session of riding a surfboard in the surf.

    “We went of a surf this morning.”

verb

  1. To ride a wave, usually on a surfboard.
  2. To browse the Internet, television, etc.

Hear “surf” in real sentences

Real example sentences from Tatoeba (CC-BY) — tap to hear each one, or see it used on YouGlish.

Words that rhyme with surf

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

serfturfsmurfastroturfcerfmcinturfmcinturffmurffmurphoverturfscherfscherff

Related words

windsurfbreakerchannel-surfbreakerssurfboardsnowboardskisailing

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "surf"?▾

"Surf" has one syllable.

What is the IPA transcription of "surf"?▾

The IPA transcription of "surf" is /sɜːf/.

What does "surf" mean?▾

Surf: Waves that break on an ocean shoreline.

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