Pronunciation

How to pronounce “quite

“quite” is pronounced /kwaɪt/ (KWYTE) — one syllable.
The sound

Say “quite” in one beat

Say it like this

quite

/kwaɪt/

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

1 beat
  1. quitekwaɪt
IPA (American)
/kwaɪt/
IPA (British)
/kwaɪt/
Respelling
KWYTE
Syllables
1 — quite
Stress
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /kwaɪt/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Part of speech
adverb
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Watch out

Where “quite” goes wrong

  • Often heard

    KWY-uht

    one syllable; quiet has two

Meaning

What “quite” means

  1. adverb

    to a degree (not used with a negative)

    quite tasty

  2. adverb

    to the greatest extent; completely

    you're quite right

  3. adverb

    of an unusually noticeable or exceptional or remarkable kind (not used with a negative)

    her victory was quite something

Say it in a sentence

It was quite the coldest morning of the whole winter.
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

quite”, answered

How do you pronounce “quite”?

“quite” is pronounced /kwaɪt/ (KWYTE) — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /kwaɪt/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.

How many syllables does “quite” have?

One, despite the 3 vowel letters in the spelling. The whole word is /kwaɪt/ — a single beat.

What does “quite” mean?

As an adverb: to a degree (not used with a negative) For example: “quite tasty” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “quite”?

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

Practise this word

Now say “quite” and see every sound

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