How to pronounce chafe
Say it like CHAYF. Chafe is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
- CHAYF
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Chafe pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- CHAYFSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of chafe
American and British speakers say chafe in essentially the same way: /tʃeɪf/ in the US and /tʃeɪf/ in the UK.
British respelling: CHAYF.
What does chafe mean?
- Heat excited by friction.
- Injury or wear caused by friction.
- To excite heat in by friction; to rub in order to stimulate and make warm.
- To excite passion or anger in; to fret; to irritate.
- To fret and wear by rubbing.“to chafe a cable”
Where does chafe come from?
Inherited from Middle English chaufen (“to warm”), borrowed from Old French chaufer (modern French chauffer), from Latin calefacere, calfacere (“to make warm”), from calere (“to be warm”) + facere (“to make”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with chafe
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of chafe.
Questions about saying chafe
How do you pronounce chafe?
Say CHAYF. The American pronunciation is /tʃeɪf/. In British English it is /tʃeɪf/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in chafe?
Chafe is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: CHAYF.
Do Americans and Brits say chafe the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /tʃeɪf/ and the British form is /tʃeɪf/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.