Pronunciation

How to pronounce “must

“must” is pronounced /mʌst/ (MUST) — one syllable.
The sound

Say “must” in one beat

Say it like this

must

/mʌst/

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

1 beat
  1. mustmʌst
IPA (American)
/mʌst/
IPA (British)
/mʌst/
Respelling
MUST
Syllables
1 — must
Stress
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /mʌst/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Part of speech
noun, adjective
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Meaning

What “must” means

  1. noun

    a necessary or essential thing

    seat belts are an absolute must

  2. noun

    grape juice before or during fermentation

  3. noun

    the quality of smelling or tasting old or stale or mouldy

Say it in a sentence

You must wear a helmet when riding the bike.
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

must”, answered

How do you pronounce “must”?

“must” is pronounced /mʌst/ (MUST) — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /mʌst/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.

How many syllables does “must” have?

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

What does “must” mean?

As a noun: a necessary or essential thing For example: “seat belts are an absolute must” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “must”?

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

Practise this word

Now say “must” 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.