How to pronounce “least”
Say “least” in one beat
least
/list/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /liːst/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- leastlist
- IPA (American)
- /list/
- IPA (British)
- /liːst/
- Respelling
- LEEST
- Syllables
- 1 — least
- Stress
- One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /list/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
- Part of speech
- noun, adjective, adverb
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
/list/
/liːst/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “least” means
- noun
something that is of no importance
“it is the least I can do”
- adjective
the superlative of `little' that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by `the'; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
“didn't care the least bit”
- adverb
used to form the superlative
“The garter snake is the least dangerous snake”
Say it in a sentence
“At least three people showed up early to help.”“least”, answered
How do you pronounce “least”?
“least” is pronounced /list/ (LEEST) in American English and /liːst/ in British English — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /list/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.
How many syllables does “least” have?
One, despite the 2 vowel letters in the spelling. The whole word is /list/ — a single beat.
Is “least” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /list/ (LEEST); British English says /liːst/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “least” mean?
As a noun: something that is of no importance For example: “it is the least I can do” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “least”?
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /list/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Now say “least” 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.