How to pronounce reef
Say it like REEF. Reef 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 reef. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- REEF
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Reef pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- REEFSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of reef
American and British speakers say reef in essentially the same way: /rif/ in the US and /riːf/ in the UK.
British respelling: REEF.
What does reef mean?
- a submerged ridge of rock or coral near the surface of the water
- one of several strips across a sail that can be taken in or rolled up to lessen the area of the sail that is exposed to the wind
- a rocky region in the southern Transvaal in northeastern South Africa; contains rich gold deposits and coal and manganese
- lower and bring partially inboard“reef the sailboat's mast”
- roll up (a portion of a sail) in order to reduce its area
- reduce (a sail) by taking in a reef
Where does reef come from?
From earlier riff, from Middle English rif, from Old Norse rif (“rib, reef”), from Proto-Germanic *ribją (“rib, reef”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁rebʰ- (“arch, ceiling, cover”).
Words that rhyme with reef
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of reef.
Questions about saying reef
How do you pronounce reef?
Say REEF. The American pronunciation is /rif/. In British English it is /riːf/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in reef?
Reef is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: REEF.
Do Americans and Brits say reef the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /rif/ and the British form is /riːf/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.