Pronunciation

How to pronounce “yes”

“yes” is pronounced /jɛs/ (YES) — one syllable.

The sound

Say “yes” in one beat

Say it like this

yes

/jɛs/

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

1 beat

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

Meaning

Say it in a sentence

“She nodded and said yes without a moment's hesitation.”

Sound by sound

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

How do you pronounce “yes”?

“yes” is pronounced /jɛs/ (YES) — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /jɛs/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.

How many syllables does “yes” have?

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

What does “yes” mean?

As a noun: an affirmative For example: “I was hoping for a yes”

Where is the stress in “yes”?

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

Practise this word

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.