SEL-fish
/ˈsɛlfɪʃ/
selfish is pronounced SEL-fish (/ˈsɛlfɪʃ/). Selfish refers to a person who places their own needs or desires above others, often at the expense of sharing or consideration. The term can describe motives, actions, or attitudes that prioritize self-interest over communal or empathetic considerations. In everyday speech, it can carry neutral, critical, or pejorative connotations depending on context and intonation.
Selfish refers to a person who places their own needs or desires above others, often at the expense of sharing or consideration. The term can describe motives, actions, or attitudes that prioritize self-interest over communal or empathetic considerations. In everyday speech, it can carry neutral, critical, or pejorative connotations depending on context and intonation.
"She was criticised for her selfish decision to take the last seat without offering to move."
"His selfish behavior alienated friends and colleagues alike."
"The charity drive highlighted the community’s willingness to help others, rather than display selfishness."
Say SELF-ihsh, with primary stress on the first syllable. The IPA is /ˈself.ɪʃ/ for US/UK; the Australian variant is essentially the same: /ˈself.ɪʃ/. Start with a clear, loud /s/ followed by /ɛ/ as in 'set', then glide to a light /l/ closure for /l/ and end with /ɪʃ/ where the tongue stays relaxed and the lips are neutral through the /ɪ/ and slightly spread for /ʃ/. The consonants are articulated but not aggressively; keep the vowel short and clipped rather than drawn-out.
Common errors include misplacing the stress (pronouncing it as sˈelfish or ˈsel-fish with exaggerated first or second syllable), pronouncing /ɪ/ as /iː/ (sĕl-fish vs. sel-feesh), and over-articulating /ʃ/ as a harder /ʃʃ/ or adding an extra vowel. Correct it by keeping the first syllable crisp (S-ell) and final /ɪʃ/ as a short, unstressed ending. Practice the transition from /f/ to /ɪ/ quickly to avoid a drawn-out vowel sequence.
In US, UK, and AU, the initial sound is /s/ and the vowel in the first syllable tends toward a lax /ɛ/ or /e/ quality; rhoticity does not affect this word much, but non-rhotic accents may slightly lengthen the preceding vowel due to connected speech. The final /ʃ/ remains consistent. Overall, you’ll hear a slightly shorter /ɪ/ before /ʃ/ in fast speech across all three, but Australians may delay the syllable boundary slightly due to faster, more clipped rhythm.
Two main challenges: crisp separation between /f/ and /l/ and the quick transition into /ɪ/ before /ʃ/. The /l/ can blend with the /f/ leading to /sf/ or a tangled onset. Practicing minimal pairs helps: /ˈself.ɪʃ/ vs /ˈsel.fɪʃ/ trains you to hold syllable boundaries and soften the /ɪ/ before /ʃ/. Also, non-native speakers often over-articulate the /ɪ/ or insert an extra vowel; aim for a tight, single syllable transition with a brief lift of the tongue for /ɪ/ before /ʃ/.
The key unique feature is the schwa-less, clipped final syllable; many listeners expect a longer vowel sound before /ʃ/. In careful speech you want a short, almost clipped /ɪ/ rather than a drawn-out /ɪə/ or /iː/. Your tongue tip lightly taps the alveolar ridge for /t/ or /d/ does not apply here; instead you keep a relaxed jaw and avoid lip rounding that can blur /ɪ/ into /iː/. The balance is between a crisp /self/ onset and a quick /ɪʃ/ tail.
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Selfish derives from Old English sel asa, with sel meaning ‘self’ and -ish functioning as a suffix forming adjectives. The sense evolved over centuries from describing something pertaining to the self to a judgment about someone’s motives or conduct. In Middle English, forms related to ‘self’ and ‘ship’ terms indicated belonging to, or characteristic of, the self. The modern pejorative sense—acting in one’s own interest at the expense of others—became prominent by the 17th–18th centuries as social norms around communal behavior and moral virtues intensified. The word’s transformation parallels shifts in ethics, philosophy, and social critique, where the tension between individual desire and collective good is a frequent topic. First known usages appear in religious and literary texts where charitable behavior (or lack thereof) was contrasted with self-regarding traits, leading to contemporary usage that often carries a critical tone about someone’s motives, not merely a descriptor of behavior.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "selfish" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "selfish"
-ish sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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