Pronunciation

How to pronounce “gay

“gay” is pronounced /ɡeɪ/ (GAY) — one syllable.
The sound

Say “gay” in one beat

Say it like this

gay

/ɡeɪ/

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

1 beat
  1. gayɡeɪ
IPA (American)
/ɡeɪ/
IPA (British)
/ɡeɪ/
Respelling
GAY
Syllables
1 — gay
Stress
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /ɡeɪ/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Part of speech
noun, adjective
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Meaning

What “gay” means

  1. noun

    someone who practices homosexuality; having a sexual attraction to persons of the same sex

  2. adjective

    bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer

    a cheery hello

  3. adjective

    full of or showing high-spirited merriment; ; - Wordsworth

    when hearts were young and gay

Say it in a sentence

The parade celebrated the local gay community every June.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

2 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

gay”, answered

How do you pronounce “gay”?

“gay” is pronounced /ɡeɪ/ (GAY) — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /ɡeɪ/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.

How many syllables does “gay” have?

One, despite the 2 vowel letters in the spelling. The whole word is /ɡeɪ/ — a single beat.

What does “gay” mean?

As a noun: someone who practices homosexuality; having a sexual attraction to persons of the same sex For example: “The parade celebrated the local gay community every June.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “gay”?

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

Practise this word

Now say “gay” and see every sound

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