Pronunciation

How to pronounce “fasten

“fasten” is pronounced /ˈfæsən/ (FASS-uhn) in American English and /ˈfɑːsən/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “fas”.
The sound

Say “fasten” in 2 beats

Say it like this

fasten

/ˈfæsən/

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

2 beats
  1. fasstress
  2. tensən
IPA (American)
/ˈfæsən/
IPA (British)
/ˈfɑːsən/
Respelling
FASS-uhn
Syllables
2 — FAS-ten
Stress
Stress the first syllable: FAS-ten. “fas” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Part of speech
verb
Difficulty
Legend — spelling and sound part company here
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈfæsən/

British

/ˈfɑːsən/

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

Watch out

Where “fasten” goes wrong

  • Often heard

    FAST-en

    the t is silent: FASS-uhn

Meaning

What “fasten” means

  1. verb

    cause to be firmly attached

    fasten the lock onto the door

  2. verb

    become fixed or fastened

    This dress fastens in the back

  3. verb

    attach to

    They fastened various nicknames to each other

Say it in a sentence

Fasten the gate behind you or the sheep will get out.
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

fasten”, answered

How do you pronounce “fasten”?

“fasten” is pronounced /ˈfæsən/ (FASS-uhn) in American English and /ˈfɑːsən/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “fas”. Build it as FAS-ten, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “fasten” have?

2: fas · ten. The beat lands on the first, “fas”.

Is “fasten” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈfæsən/ (FASS-uhn); British English says /ˈfɑːsən/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “fasten” mean?

As a verb: cause to be firmly attached For example: “fasten the lock onto the door” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “fasten”?

Stress the first syllable: FAS-ten. “fas” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “fasten” 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.