Pronunciation

How to pronounce “states

“states” is pronounced /steɪts/ (STAYTS) — one syllable.
The sound

Say “states” in one beat

Say it like this

states

/steɪts/

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

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

What “states” means

  1. noun

    the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

    his state is in the deep south

  2. noun

    the way something is with respect to its main attributes

    the current state of knowledge

  3. noun

    the group of people comprising the government of a sovereign state

    the state has lowered its income tax

Say it in a sentence

The company now operates in more than a dozen states.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

3 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

states”, answered

How do you pronounce “states”?

“states” is pronounced /steɪts/ (STAYTS) — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /steɪts/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.

How many syllables does “states” have?

One, despite the 2 vowel letters in the spelling. The whole word is /steɪts/ — a single beat.

What does “states” mean?

As a noun: the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation For example: “his state is in the deep south” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “states”?

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

Practise this word

Now say “states” and see every sound

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