Pronunciation

How to pronounce “gun

“gun” is pronounced /ɡʌn/ (GUN) — one syllable.
The sound

Say “gun” in one beat

Say it like this

gun

/ɡʌn/

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

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

What “gun” means

  1. noun

    a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)

  2. noun

    large but transportable armament

  3. noun

    a person who shoots a gun (as regards their ability)

Say it in a sentence

The old hunting gun had belonged to her grandfather.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

3 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

gun”, answered

How do you pronounce “gun”?

“gun” is pronounced /ɡʌn/ (GUN) — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /ɡʌn/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.

How many syllables does “gun” have?

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

What does “gun” mean?

As a noun: a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel) For example: “The old hunting gun had belonged to her grandfather.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “gun”?

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

Practise this word

Now say “gun” 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.