How to pronounce “key”
Say “key” in one beat
key
/ki/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /kiː/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- keyki
- IPA (American)
- /ki/
- IPA (British)
- /kiː/
- Respelling
- KEE
- Syllables
- 1 — key
- Stress
- One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /ki/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
- Part of speech
- noun, verb, adjective
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
/ki/
/kiː/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “key” means
- noun
metal device shaped in such a way that when it is inserted into the appropriate lock the lock's mechanism can be rotated
- noun
something crucial for explaining
“the key to development is economic integration”
- noun
pitch of the voice
“he spoke in a low key”
Say it in a sentence
“She hid a spare key under the flowerpot by the door.”“key”, answered
How do you pronounce “key”?
“key” is pronounced /ki/ (KEE) in American English and /kiː/ in British English — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /ki/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.
How many syllables does “key” have?
One, despite the 2 vowel letters in the spelling. The whole word is /ki/ — a single beat.
Is “key” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ki/ (KEE); British English says /kiː/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “key” mean?
As a noun: metal device shaped in such a way that when it is inserted into the appropriate lock the lock's mechanism can be rotated For example: “She hid a spare key under the flowerpot by the door.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “key”?
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /ki/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Now say “key” 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.