How to pronounce “contest”
“contest” is said two ways
/ˈkɑntɛst/
KAHN-test
The competition. Beat on KAHN.
/kənˈtɛst/
kuhn-TEST
To challenge or dispute. Beat on TEST.
Listen for the beat, not the letters
One syllable gets longer, louder and a step higher, and the other one collapses towards a schwa. Say the whole sentence rather than the word on its own and let the grammar pull the beat where it belongs.Both forms live in one sentence here: “They will contest the result of every contest they lose.”Each button plays a short phrase rather than the bare word: the model voice takes its stress from the words around it, so asking it for “contest” on its own would play one reading twice instead of the noun and the verb. Read the transcription as you listen.
Say “contest” in 2 beats
contest
/ˈkɑntɛst/
Everything in this card describes the noun form. As a verb it is /kənˈtɛst/.
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /ˈkɒntɛst/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- conkɑnstress
- testtɛst
- IPA (American)
- /ˈkɑntɛst/
- IPA (British)
- /ˈkɒntɛst/
- Respelling
- KAHN-test (noun) · kuhn-TEST (verb)
- Syllables
- 2 — CON-test
- Stress
- Stress the first syllable: CON-test. “con” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
- Part of speech
- noun, verb
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
This is the noun form in two accents — a separate question from the two pronunciations above, which are the same accent saying two different words.
/ˈkɑntɛst/
/ˈkɒntɛst/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
Where “contest” goes wrong
- Often heard
“KAHN-test the result”
challenging it is kuhn-TEST; KAHN-test is the competition
What “contest” means
- noun
an occasion on which a winner is selected from among two or more contestants
- noun
a struggle between rivals
- verb
to make the subject of dispute, contention, or litigation
“They contested the outcome of the race”
Say it in a sentence
“They will contest the result of every contest they lose.”“contest”, answered
How do you pronounce “contest”?
“contest” has two pronunciations: /ˈkɑntɛst/ as a noun and /kənˈtɛst/ as a verb — the part of speech decides which. The spelling never changes; the beat does, and the vowels reshape around wherever it lands. The transcription and syllable breakdown below describe the noun form. Build it as CON-test, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “contest” have?
2: con · test. The beat lands on the first, “con”.
Which pronunciation of “contest” is correct?
Both are. /ˈkɑntɛst/ (KAHN-test) as a noun; /kənˈtɛst/ (kuhn-TEST) as a verb. Nothing about the spelling tells you which — the sentence does. Move the beat and the word changes its job mid-sentence, which is why both are worth drilling. Both appear here: “They will contest the result of every contest they lose.”
Is “contest” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ˈkɑntɛst/ (KAHN-test); British English says /ˈkɒntɛst/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “contest” mean?
As a noun: an occasion on which a winner is selected from among two or more contestants For example: “They will contest the result of every contest they lose.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “contest”?
Stress the first syllable: CON-test. “con” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Now say “contest” and see every sound
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.