English pronunciation · Words Starting with C

Chief Pronunciation

Chief is pronounced CHEEF, IPA /ˈtʃif/.

CHEEF

US /ˈtʃif/  ·  UK /ˈtʃiːf/

Syllables: CHEEF (1 syllable)

noun and adjective: The leader of a group or organisation, or the most important of several things.

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Chief in a Sentence

  • The chief of police spoke to reporters outside.
  • Rain was the chief reason the match was called off.
  • She was made chief engineer last spring.

Common Mispronunciations of Chief

Not CHEF

The ie spells a long ee, so the word matches beef with a ch in front. Chef is a separate French word with a sh and a short e.

Not SHEEF

Start with the full ch of chin. Softening it to sh gives the unrelated word sheaf.

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