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Pronunciation

How to pronounce “keep”

“keep” is pronounced /kip/ (KEEP) in American English and /kiːp/ in British English — one syllable.
The sound

Say “keep” in one beat

Say it like this

keep

/kip/

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

1 beat
  1. keepkip
IPA (American)
/kip/
IPA (British)
/kiːp/
Respelling
KEEP
Syllables
1 — keep
Stress
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /kip/ 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

/kip/

British

/kiːp/

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

Meaning

What “keep” means

  1. noun

    the financial means whereby one lives

    “each child was expected to pay for their keep”

  2. noun

    the main tower within the walls of a medieval castle or fortress

  3. noun

    a cell in a jail or prison

Say it in a sentence

“Please keep the receipt in case you need a refund.”
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

3 sounds, in the order you say them
kkilong epp

Each sound has its own page: where the tongue goes, what it is usually confused with, and words to drill it on.

Questions

“keep”, answered

How do you pronounce “keep”?

“keep” is pronounced /kip/ (KEEP) in American English and /kiːp/ in British English — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /kip/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.

How many syllables does “keep” have?

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

Is “keep” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /kip/ (KEEP); British English says /kiːp/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “keep” mean?

As a noun: the financial means whereby one lives For example: “each child was expected to pay for their keep” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “keep”?

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

Practise this word

Now say “keep” and see every sound

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