Pronunciation

How to pronounce “debt

“debt” is pronounced /dɛt/ (DET) — one syllable.
The sound

Say “debt” in one beat

Say it like this

debt

/dɛt/

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

1 beat
  1. debtdɛt
IPA (American)
/dɛt/
IPA (British)
/dɛt/
Respelling
DET
Syllables
1 — debt
Stress
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /dɛt/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Part of speech
noun
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Watch out

Where “debt” goes wrong

  • Often heard

    DEBT with a b

    the b is silent: it sounds exactly like det

Meaning

What “debt” means

  1. noun

    the state of owing something (especially money)

    he is badly in debt

  2. noun

    money or goods or services owed by one person to another

  3. noun

    an obligation to pay or do something

Say it in a sentence

She paid off her student debt two years ahead of schedule.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

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

debt”, answered

How do you pronounce “debt”?

“debt” is pronounced /dɛt/ (DET) — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /dɛt/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.

How many syllables does “debt” have?

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

What does “debt” mean?

As a noun: the state of owing something (especially money) For example: “he is badly in debt” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “debt”?

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

Practise this word

Now say “debt” and see every sound

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