How to pronounce guess
Say it like GHES. Guess is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce guess. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- GHES
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Guess pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- GHESSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
American vs British pronunciation of guess
American and British speakers say guess in essentially the same way: /ɡɛs/ in the US and /ɡɛs/ in the UK.
British respelling: GHES.
What does guess mean?
- expect, believe, or suppose“I imagine she earned a lot of money with her new novel”“I thought to find her in a bad state”
- put forward, of a guess, in spite of possible refutation“I am guessing that the price of real estate will rise again”“I cannot pretend to say that you are wrong”
- judge tentatively or form an estimate of (quantities or time)“I estimate this chicken to weigh three pounds”
- a message expressing an opinion based on incomplete evidence
- an estimate based on little or no information
Where does guess come from?
Cognate with Danish gisne (“to guess”), Norwegian gissa, gjette (“to guess”), Swedish gissa (“to guess”), Saterland Frisian gisje (“to guess”), Dutch gissen (“to guess”), Low German gissen (“to guess”), Dutch gis (“a guess”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with guess
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of guess.
Questions about saying guess
How do you pronounce guess?
Say GHES. The American pronunciation is /ɡɛs/. In British English it is /ɡɛs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in guess?
Guess is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: GHES.
Do Americans and Brits say guess the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ɡɛs/ and the British form is /ɡɛs/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.