How to pronounce ruff
Say it like RUHF. Ruff 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 ruff. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- RUHF
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Ruff pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- RUHFSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "u" in cup.
American vs British pronunciation of ruff
American and British speakers say ruff in essentially the same way: /rʌf/ in the US and /rʌf/ in the UK.
British respelling: RUHF.
What does ruff mean?
- A circular frill or ruffle on a garment, especially a starched, fluted frill at the neck in Elizabethan and Jacobean England (1560s–1620s).
- Anything formed with plaits or flutings like a frill.
- A gregarious, medium-sized wading bird of species Calidris pugnax (syn. Philomachus pugnax), of Eurasia; specifically, a male of the species which develops a distinctive ruff of feathers and ear tufts during mating season (the female is called a reeve).
- Alternative spelling of ruffe: a small freshwater fish of the genus Gymnocephalus; specifically a Eurasian ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernua or Gymnocephalus cernuus) which has spiny fins; the pope.
- A fish of species Arripis georgianus, found in cool waters off the southern coast of Australia
- To shape (fabric, etc.) into a ruff; to adorn (a garment, etc.) with a ruff.
- Of a falcon, hawk, etc.: to hit (the prey) without fixing or grabbing hold of it.
- To ruffle; to disorder.
Where does ruff come from?
Clipping of ruffle, or possibly from rough.
Words that rhyme with ruff
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of ruff.
Words that sound like ruff
Questions about saying ruff
How do you pronounce ruff?
Say RUHF. The American pronunciation is /rʌf/. In British English it is /rʌf/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in ruff?
Ruff is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: RUHF.
Do Americans and Brits say ruff the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /rʌf/ and the British form is /rʌf/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as ruff?
Ruff sounds the same as rough in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.