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PlainSpell

scoff

/skɔːf/noun, verb

scoff is spelled S-C-O-F-F: 5 letters and one syllable. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 37,943rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, scoff means “A derisive or mocking expression of scorn, contempt, or reproach” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of scoff is scoffs.

How many letters and syllables are in scoff?

Letters5: S-C-O-F-F
Syllables1 (from its American pronunciation)
In writingabout once in every 2 million words; the 37,943rd most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search
Rhymes with

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.

How common is scoff?

Scoff appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 37,943rd most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce scoff?

  • UK /skɒf/
  • US /skɔːf/
  • /skɑːf/

Scoff has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-scoff.ogg, En-au-scoff.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

What rhymes with scoff?

6 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as scoff from its last stressed vowel (/ɔf/):

Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).

Forms of scoff

  • scoffs plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • scoffing participle, present
  • scoffed participle, past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does scoff mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

  1. 1

    A derisive or mocking expression of scorn, contempt, or reproach.

  2. 2

    An object of scorn, mockery, or derision.

  3. 3

    slangFood.

  4. 4

    slangThe act of eating.

verb

  1. 1

    To jeer; to laugh with contempt and derision.

  2. 2

    To mock; to treat with scorn.

  3. 3

    AustraliaUKslangTo eat food quickly.

  4. 4

    slangTo eat.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Scoff in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchdérision, ridicule, moquerie (expression of derision), se gausser, se moquer, tourner en ridicule (to jeer; laugh at with contempt and derision)
GermanSpott (expression of derision), verlachen (to jeer; laugh at with contempt and derision), Fressalie (slang: food), verschlingen (to eat food quickly)
Spanishburla, rebuzno, escarnecimiento (expression of derision), burlarse, escarnecer (to jeer; laugh at with contempt and derision), hazmerreír (object of scorn, mockery, or derision)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does scoff come from?

From Middle English scof, skof, probably of North Germanic origin. Compare Old Norse skaup, Old Danish skof, Old Frisian skof (“insult, shame”), and Old High German scoph.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

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