How to pronounce guilt
Say it like GHILT. Guilt 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 guilt. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- GHILT
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Guilt pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- GHILTSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of guilt
American and British speakers say guilt in essentially the same way: /ɡɪlt/ in the US and /ɡɪlt/ in the UK.
British respelling: GHILT.
What does guilt mean?
- the state of having committed an offense
- remorse caused by feeling responsible for some offense
Where does guilt come from?
From Middle English gilt, gult, from Old English gylt (“guilt, sin, offense, crime, fault”), of obscure origin.
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with guilt
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of guilt.
Words that sound like guilt
Questions about saying guilt
How do you pronounce guilt?
Say GHILT. The American pronunciation is /ɡɪlt/. In British English it is /ɡɪlt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in guilt?
Guilt is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: GHILT.
Do Americans and Brits say guilt the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ɡɪlt/ and the British form is /ɡɪlt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as guilt?
Guilt sounds the same as gilt in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.