How to pronounce chef
Say it like SHEF. Chef is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce chef. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SHEF
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Chef pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SHEFSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
American vs British pronunciation of chef
American and British speakers say chef in essentially the same way: /ʃɛf/ in the US and /ʃɛf/ in the UK.
British respelling: SHEF.
What does chef mean?
- a professional cook
Where does chef come from?
Doublet of cape, capo, caput, and chief through Latin, and head and Howth through Proto-Indo-European.
Words that rhyme with chef
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of chef.
Questions about saying chef
How do you pronounce chef?
Say SHEF. The American pronunciation is /ʃɛf/. In British English it is /ʃɛf/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in chef?
Chef is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SHEF.
Do Americans and Brits say chef the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ʃɛf/ and the British form is /ʃɛf/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.