Pronunciation

How to pronounce “guard

“guard” is pronounced /ɡɑɹd/ (GAHRD) in American English and /ɡɑːd/ in British English — one syllable.
The sound

Say “guard” in one beat

Say it like this

guard

/ɡɑɹd/

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

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

American and British are not the same here

American

/ɡɑɹd/

British

/ɡɑːd/

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

Meaning

What “guard” means

  1. noun

    a person who keeps watch over something or someone

  2. noun

    the person who plays that position on a football team

    the left guard was injured on the play

  3. noun

    a device designed to prevent injury or accidents

Say it in a sentence

A guard checks every bag at the entrance to the hall.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

4 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

guard”, answered

How do you pronounce “guard”?

“guard” is pronounced /ɡɑɹd/ (GAHRD) in American English and /ɡɑːd/ in British English — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /ɡɑɹd/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.

How many syllables does “guard” have?

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

Is “guard” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ɡɑɹd/ (GAHRD); British English says /ɡɑːd/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “guard” mean?

As a noun: a person who keeps watch over something or someone For example: “A guard checks every bag at the entrance to the hall.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “guard”?

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

Practise this word

Now say “guard” 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.