Pronunciation

How to pronounce “guest

“guest” is pronounced /ɡɛst/ (GEST) — one syllable.
The sound

Say “guest” in one beat

Say it like this

guest

/ɡɛst/

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

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

What “guest” means

  1. noun

    a visitor to whom hospitality is extended

  2. noun

    United States journalist (born in England) noted for his syndicated homey verse (1881-1959)

  3. noun

    a customer of a hotel or restaurant etc.

Say it in a sentence

We kept the small room free for whichever guest arrived first.
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

guest”, answered

How do you pronounce “guest”?

“guest” is pronounced /ɡɛst/ (GEST) — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /ɡɛst/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.

How many syllables does “guest” have?

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

What does “guest” mean?

As a noun: a visitor to whom hospitality is extended For example: “We kept the small room free for whichever guest arrived first.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “guest”?

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

Practise this word

Now say “guest” 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.