if

A1 Topic:Grammar & Function Words

US /ɪf/ See IPA manual

Freq #43

Meanings

1

conj
Used to say that something will happen or be true only when another thing happens.

If it rains, we will stay at home.
2

conj
Whether; used to introduce an indirect question.

I don't know if I want to go or not.
3

conj
Used with the past tense to talk about something imaginary or unreal.

If she hadn't told me, I wouldn't have known.

Thesaurus

Word family

Derived forms elifendifif-betif-by-whiskeyif-thenif-then-elseif-thenismiffiffyifpologywhat-if

Appears in

Idioms (2)

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Tongue twisters (6)

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Betty Botter
Betty Botter bought some butter. “But,” she said, “this butter’s bitter; If I put it in my batter, It will make my batter bitter; But a bit of better butter Will but make my batter better.” So she bought a bit of butter Better than the bitter butter, And made her bitter batter better. So it was better Betty Botter Bought a bit of better butter.

Compare the vowels in bit, better, batter and butter while keeping /b/ steady. Use your normal accent for the middle consonant of Betty, ...
Billy Button
Billy Button bought a buttered biscuit. Did Billy Button buy a buttered biscuit? If Billy Button bought a buttered biscuit, Where's the buttered biscuit Billy Button bought?

Keep the repeated /b/ clear without adding a vowel before it. Bought and buy change between lines, so follow the wording as well as the r...
Dew Drops
As much of the dew that the dew drops drop, if dew drops do drop dew.

Keep the /dɹ/ cluster in drops and drop connected. Dew may begin with /d/ or /dj/, depending on your accent; use the form natural to you.
How Much Wood
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck If a woodchuck could and would chuck wood? He’d chuck as much wood as a woodchuck would If a woodchuck could and would chuck wood.

Alternate the rounded /w/ with the short stop-and-release of /tʃ/. Wood, would and could share /ʊ/; chuck and much use /ʌ/ in many Englis...
Peter Piper
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. Did Peter Piper pick a peck of pickled peppers? If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, Where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

Close both lips for each /p/, and keep the end of picked distinct from pick. Start one line at a time before joining the four lines.
Walter Waddle
Walter Waddle won a walking wager. Did Walter Waddle win a walking wager? If Walter Waddle won a walking wager, Where's the walking wager Walter Waddle won?

Round the lips briefly for /w/, then move into each vowel. Notice the change from won to win in the question.

Etymology

From Middle English if, yif, yef, from Old English ġif (“if”), from Proto-West Germanic *jabu, *jabē, from Proto-Germanic *jabai (“when, if”). Cognate with Scots gif (“if, whether”), Saterland Frisian af, of (“if, whether”), West Frisian oft (“whether”), Dutch of (“or, whether, but”), Middle Low German ef, if, af, of ("if; whether"; > German Low German of), German ob (“if, whether”), Icelandic ef (“if”).

if Middle English ġif Old English *jabu Proto-West Germanic *jabai Proto-Germanic

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Topics

Grammar & Function Words

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# if

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** conj
**IPA (US):** /ɪf/
**Frequency rank:** 43

## Meanings
1. Used to say that something will happen or be true only when another thing happens.
2. Whether; used to introduce an indirect question.
3. Used with the past tense to talk about something imaginary or unreal.

## Examples
- If it rains, we will stay at home.
- I don't know if I want to go or not.
- If she hadn't told me, I wouldn't have known.

## Derived Forms
- elif
- endif
- if-bet
- if-by-whiskey
- if-then
- if-then-else
- if-thenism
- iff
- iffy
- ifpology
- what-if

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: if
- Root: ġif
- Root: *jabu
- Root: *jabai

## Etymology
From Middle English if, yif, yef, from Old English ġif (“if”), from Proto-West Germanic *jabu, *jabē, from Proto-Germanic *jabai (“when, if”). Cognate with Scots gif (“if, whether”), Saterland Frisian af, of (“if, whether”), West Frisian oft (“whether”), Dutch of (“or, whether, but”), Middle Low German ef, if, af, of ("if; whether"; > German Low German of), German ob (“if, whether”), Icelandic ef (“if”).

## AI Etymology
If comes from Middle English if, yif, yef, from Old English ġif (“if”), from Proto-West Germanic *jabu, *jabē, from Proto-Germanic *jabai (“when, if”). Cognate with Scots gif (“if, whether”), Saterland Frisian af, of (“if, whether”), West Frisian oft (“whether”), Dutch of (“or, whether, but”), Middle Low German ef, if, af, of ("if; whether"; > German Low German of), German ob (“if, whether”), Icelandic ef (“if”). In current use, the main senses are “Used to say that something will happen or be true only when another thing happens” and “Whether; used to introduce an indirect question”.

## Topics
- Grammar & Function Words

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