Pronunciation guide

How to pronounce giraffe

juh-RAF (US) or jih-RAHF (UK); two syllables, stress at the end

US/dʒəˈɹæf/

dʒəɹæf

UK/dʒɪˈɹɑːf/

dʒɪɹɑːf

New to IPA symbols? Read the IPA guide.

What “giraffe” means

A ruminant in the genus Giraffa of the African savannah with long legs, a highly elongated neck, yellow fur patterned with dark spots typically in the form of a network, and two or more horn-like projections called ossicones; the tallest living animal.

A giraffe unicycle.

In a sentence

  • The zoo just got a new giraffe and its spots are stunning.
  • He's tall enough to be called a giraffe at any party.

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Definitions and examples are derived from Wiktionary, used under CC BY-SA 4.0, then edited by QuickPronounce. Pronunciation data draws on CMUdict.