Pronunciation

How to pronounce “but”

“but” is pronounced /bʌt/ (BUT) — one syllable.

The sound

Say “but” in one beat

Say it like this

but

/bʌt/

The voice you hear here is American; a British voice is available in the app's settings.

1 beat

IPA (American): /bʌt/
IPA (British): /bʌt/
Respelling: BUT
Syllables: 1 — but
Stress: One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /bʌt/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Part of speech: adverb
Difficulty: Beginner — most learners get this on the first take

Meaning

Say it in a sentence

“The hike was tiring but absolutely worth the view at the top.”

Sound by sound

3 sounds, in the order you say them

Each sound has its own page: where the tongue goes, what it is usually confused with, and words to drill it on.

Questions

How do you pronounce “but”?

“but” is pronounced /bʌt/ (BUT) — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /bʌt/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.

How many syllables does “but” have?

One, despite the 1 vowel letters in the spelling. The whole word is /bʌt/ — a single beat.

What does “but” mean?

As an adverb: and nothing more For example: “I was merely asking”

Where is the stress in “but”?

One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /bʌt/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.

Practise this word

Record it once and sayit lines your audio up against the target sound by sound — what landed, what slipped, and what it sounded like instead.