How to pronounce jiffy
Say it like JIF-ee. Jiffy has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (JIF).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce jiffy. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- JIF
- ee
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Jiffy pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- JIFSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- eeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of jiffy
American and British speakers say jiffy in essentially the same way: /ˈdʒɪfi/ in the US and /ˈdʒɪfi/ in the UK.
British respelling: JIF-ee.
What does jiffy mean?
- A very short, unspecified length of time.“I’ll be back in a jiffy.”
- A unit of time defined by the frequency of its basic timer – historically, and by convention, 0.01 of a second, but some computer operating systems use other values.
- The length of an alternating current power cycle (1/60 or 1/50 of a second).
Where does jiffy come from?
Origin unknown; said to have been thieves’ cant for “lightning”.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with jiffy
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of jiffy.
Questions about saying jiffy
How do you pronounce jiffy?
Say JIF-ee. The American pronunciation is /ˈdʒɪfi/. In British English it is /ˈdʒɪfi/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in jiffy?
Jiffy has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (JIF). Broken into parts: JIF · ee.
Do Americans and Brits say jiffy the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈdʒɪfi/ and the British form is /ˈdʒɪfi/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.