Pronunciation

How to pronounce “waste

“waste” is pronounced /weɪst/ (WAYST) — one syllable.
The sound

Say “waste” in one beat

Say it like this

waste

/weɪst/

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

1 beat
  1. wasteweɪst
IPA (American)
/weɪst/
IPA (British)
/weɪst/
Respelling
WAYST
Syllables
1 — waste
Stress
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /weɪst/ 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
Meaning

What “waste” means

  1. noun

    any materials unused and rejected as worthless or unwanted

    they collect the waste once a week

  2. noun

    useless or profitless activity; using or expending or consuming thoughtlessly or carelessly

    if the effort brings no compensating gain it is a waste

  3. noun

    the trait of wasting resources

    a life characterized by thriftlessness and waste

Say it in a sentence

They try not to waste food at the end of the week.
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

waste”, answered

How do you pronounce “waste”?

“waste” is pronounced /weɪst/ (WAYST) — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /weɪst/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.

How many syllables does “waste” have?

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

What does “waste” mean?

As a noun: any materials unused and rejected as worthless or unwanted For example: “they collect the waste once a week” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “waste”?

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

Practise this word

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