Pronunciation

How to pronounce “estimate

“estimate” is pronounced /ˈɛstəmət/ (E-stuh-muht) in American English and /ɛstɪmət/ in British English, and /ˈɛstəˌmeɪt/ is also accepted — 3 syllables, stressed on “ɛ”.
The sound

Say “estimate” in 3 beats

Say it like this

estimate

/ˈɛstəmət/

The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /ɛstɪmət/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.

3 beats
  1. ɛɛstress
  2. stəstə
  3. mətmət
IPA (American)
/ˈɛstəmət/
IPA (British)
/ɛstɪmət/
Also accepted
/ˈɛstəˌmeɪt/
Respelling
E-stuh-muht
Syllables
3 — Ɛ-stə-mət
Stress
Stress the first syllable: Ɛ-stə-mət. “ɛ” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Part of speech
noun, verb
Difficulty
Pro — the sounds are ordinary, the rhythm is where it slips
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈɛstəmət/

British

/ɛstɪmət/

No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.

Meaning

What “estimate” means

  1. noun

    an approximate calculation of quantity or degree or worth

    an estimate of what it would cost

  2. noun

    a judgment of the qualities of something or somebody

    many factors are involved in any estimate of human life

  3. noun

    a document appraising the value of something (as for insurance or taxation)

Say it in a sentence

The first estimate turned out to be far too optimistic.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

5 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

estimate”, answered

How do you pronounce “estimate”?

“estimate” is pronounced /ˈɛstəmət/ (E-stuh-muht) in American English and /ɛstɪmət/ in British English, and /ˈɛstəˌmeɪt/ is also accepted — 3 syllables, stressed on “ɛ”. Build it as Ɛ-stə-mət, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “estimate” have?

3: ɛ · stə · mət. The beat lands on the first, “ɛ”.

Is “estimate” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈɛstəmət/ (E-stuh-muht); British English says /ɛstɪmət/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “estimate” mean?

As a noun: an approximate calculation of quantity or degree or worth For example: “an estimate of what it would cost” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “estimate”?

Stress the first syllable: Ɛ-stə-mət. “ɛ” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “estimate” 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.