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Pronunciation

How to pronounce “fast”

“fast” is pronounced /fæst/ (FAST) in American English and /fast/ in British English — one syllable.
The sound

Say “fast” in one beat

Say it like this

fast

/fæst/

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

1 beat
  1. fastfæst
IPA (American)
/fæst/
IPA (British)
/fast/
Respelling
FAST
Syllables
1 — fast
Stress
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /fæst/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Part of speech
noun, verb, adjective, adverb
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/fæst/

British

/fast/

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

Meaning

What “fast” means

  1. noun

    abstaining from food

  2. verb

    abstain from certain foods, as for religious or medical reasons

    “Catholics sometimes fast during Lent”

  3. verb

    abstain from eating

    “Before the medical exam, you must fast”

Say it in a sentence

“The train moved fast through the quiet countryside.”
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

4 sounds, in the order you say them
ffæshort asstt

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

Questions

“fast”, answered

How do you pronounce “fast”?

“fast” is pronounced /fæst/ (FAST) in American English and /fast/ in British English — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /fæst/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.

How many syllables does “fast” have?

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

Is “fast” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /fæst/ (FAST); British English says /fast/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “fast” mean?

As a noun: abstaining from food For example: “The train moved fast through the quiet countryside.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “fast”?

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

Practise this word

Now say “fast” 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.

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