How to pronounce guillotine
Say it like GHIL-uh-teen. Guillotine has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (GHIL).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce guillotine. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- GHIL
- uh
- teen
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Guillotine pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- GHILSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- uhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- teenGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of guillotine
American and British speakers say guillotine in essentially the same way: /ˈɡɪləˌtin/ in the US and /ˈɡɪlətiːn/ in the UK.
British respelling: GHIL-uh-teen.
Other ways to say guillotine
Guillotine also has this pronunciation, usually with a different meaning or use:
- GHEE-yuh-teen /ˈɡijəˌtin/
What does guillotine mean?
- A device used for cutting the pages of books, stacks of paper, etc., to straight edges, usually by means of a hinged or sliding blade attached to a flat platform.
- An instrument with a sliding blade for cutting the tonsils, uvula, or other body parts.
- A parliamentary procedure for fixing the dates when various stages of discussion of a bill must end, to ensure that the enactment of the bill proceeds expeditiously.
- To execute (someone) with a guillotine.“Many counterrevolutionaries were guillotined during the French Revolution.”
- To cut or trim (a body part, a stack of paper, etc.) with a guillotine.
- To end discussion (about a parliamentary bill or part of one) by invoking a guillotine procedure.
Where does guillotine come from?
Borrowed from French guillotine, named after the French physician Joseph-Ignace Guillotin (1738–1814), who proposed its use for capital punishment.
Questions about saying guillotine
How do you pronounce guillotine?
Say GHIL-uh-teen. The American pronunciation is /ˈɡɪləˌtin/. In British English it is /ˈɡɪlətiːn/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in guillotine?
Guillotine has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (GHIL). Broken into parts: GHIL · uh · teen.
Do Americans and Brits say guillotine the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈɡɪləˌtin/ and the British form is /ˈɡɪlətiːn/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.