steif

\ʃtaɪ̯f\

/\ʃtaɪ̯f\/ adj

The verdict

“steif” is uncommon French (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency French
5
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Raide, rigide, dur.

Corpus desk

Index FR-steif · steif · French

steif · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "S" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for steif
PropertyValue
Headwordsteif
LanguageFrench
Part of speechAdjective
IPA\ʃtaɪ̯f\
Letters5
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Longue queue: rang de « steif » en français

steifreste hors des 100.000 mots français les plus fréquents, dans la longue queue du vocabulaire technique, archaïque ou rare, là où le doute d'orthographe frappe.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

steif is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective, transcribed \ʃtaɪ̯f\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Raide, rigide, dur.".

Zero misspellings are on record for steif in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular French conventions. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is steif, spelled S-T-E-I-F.

Definition

  1. 1
    Raide, rigide, dur.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how steif appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Im Hotelrestaurant gibt es eine sehr interessante Familie. Der Vater ist ein großer, dünner Mann in schwarzer Kleidung und mit einem steifen Kragen. Oben auf dem Schädel ist er kahl und rechts und links hat er zwei graue Haarbüschel.
  2. Mein Nacken ist ein bisschen steif.

Antonyms

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "steif"?
"steif" is spelled S-T-E-I-F. The IPA pronunciation is \ʃtaɪ̯f\.
What does "steif" mean?
As an adjective, "steif" means: Raide, rigide, dur.
How do you pronounce "steif"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "steif" is \ʃtaɪ̯f\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "steif" come from?
"steif" is a French word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list