How to pronounce “honest”
Say “honest” in 2 beats
honest
/ˈɑnɪst/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /ˈɒnɪst/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- honɑstress
- estnɪst
- IPA (American)
- /ˈɑnɪst/
- IPA (British)
- /ˈɒnɪst/
- Respelling
- ON-ist
- Syllables
- 2 — HON-est
- Stress
- Stress the first syllable: HON-est. “hon” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
- Part of speech
- adjective
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
/ˈɑnɪst/
/ˈɒnɪst/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
Where “honest” goes wrong
- Often heard
“HON-ist”
the h is silent: ON-ist
What “honest” means
- adjective
not disposed to cheat or defraud; not deceptive or fraudulent
“honest lawyers”
- adjective
without dissimulation; frank
“my honest opinion”
- adjective
worthy of being depended on
“a dependable worker”
Say it in a sentence
“Give me an honest opinion about the colour of this wall.”“honest”, answered
How do you pronounce “honest”?
“honest” is pronounced /ˈɑnɪst/ (ON-ist) in American English and /ˈɒnɪst/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “hon”. Build it as HON-est, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “honest” have?
2: hon · est. The beat lands on the first, “hon”.
Is “honest” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ˈɑnɪst/ (ON-ist); British English says /ˈɒnɪst/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “honest” mean?
As an adjective: not disposed to cheat or defraud; not deceptive or fraudulent For example: “honest lawyers” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “honest”?
Stress the first syllable: HON-est. “hon” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Now say “honest” 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.