Pronunciation

How to pronounce “kept

“kept” is pronounced /kɛpt/ (KEPT), and /kæpt/ is also accepted — one syllable.
The sound

Say “kept” in one beat

Say it like this

kept

/kɛpt/

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

1 beat
  1. keptkɛpt
IPA (American)
/kɛpt/
IPA (British)
/kɛpt/
Also accepted
/kæpt/
Respelling
KEPT
Syllables
1 — kept
Stress
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /kɛpt/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Part of speech
verb, adjective
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Meaning

What “kept” means

  1. verb

    keep in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g.,

    keep clean

  2. verb

    continue a certain state, condition, or activity

    Keep on working!

  3. verb

    retain possession of

    Can I keep my old stuffed animals?

Say it in a sentence

He kept the old letters in a small wooden box.
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

kept”, answered

How do you pronounce “kept”?

“kept” is pronounced /kɛpt/ (KEPT), and /kæpt/ is also accepted — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /kɛpt/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.

How many syllables does “kept” have?

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

Is “kept” /kɛpt/ or /kæpt/?

Both. /kɛpt/ is the form dictionaries list first (KEPT).

What does “kept” mean?

As a verb: keep in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., For example: “keep clean” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “kept”?

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

Practise this word

Now say “kept” 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.