How to pronounce chestnut
Say it like CHES-nuht. Chestnut has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (CHES).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce chestnut. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- CHES
- nuht
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Chestnut pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- CHESSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- nuhtGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "u" in cup.
American vs British pronunciation of chestnut
American and British speakers say chestnut in essentially the same way: /ˈtʃɛˌsnʌt/ in the US and /ˈtʃɛstnʌt/ in the UK.
British respelling: CHEST-nut.
What does chestnut mean?
- Of a deep reddish-brown color, like that of a chestnut fruit (noun sense 1).“chestnut hair”
- An edible nut (technically a fruit) of the Spanish chestnut or sweet chestnut tree (Castanea sativa); also (chiefly preceded by a descriptive word), a nut from a related shrub or tree; or a similar nut from an unrelated plant.
- In full chestnut tree: the shrub or tree that bears this nut, the Spanish chestnut or sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa); also (chiefly preceded by a descriptive word), a shrub or tree of the genus Castanea.
- Wood of a chestnut tree.
Where does chestnut come from?
The adjective is probably from an attributive use of the noun; compare French (of hair) châtain (“chestnut”) (from châtaigne (“a chestnut”)) and marron (“brown”) (from marron (“a horse chestnut or chestnut”)).
Questions about saying chestnut
How do you pronounce chestnut?
Say CHES-nuht. The American pronunciation is /ˈtʃɛˌsnʌt/. In British English it is /ˈtʃɛstnʌt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in chestnut?
Chestnut has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (CHES). Broken into parts: CHES · nuht.
Do Americans and Brits say chestnut the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈtʃɛˌsnʌt/ and the British form is /ˈtʃɛstnʌt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.