How to pronounce yesterday
Say it like YES-ter-day. Yesterday has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (YES).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce yesterday. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- YES
- ter
- day
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Yesterday pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- YESSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- terKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "er" in butter.
- dayGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of yesterday
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: YES-tuh-dee.
What does yesterday mean?
- the day immediately before today“it was in yesterday's newspapers”
- the recent past“yesterday's solutions are not good enough”“we shared many yesterdays”
- on the day preceding today“yesterday the weather was beautiful”
- in the recent past; only a short time ago“I was not born yesterday!”
Where does yesterday come from?
From Middle English yesterday, yisterday, ȝesterdai, ȝisterdai, from Old English ġiestrandæġ, ġister dæġ, ġestor dæġ, ġeostran dæġ (“yesterday”), by surface analysis, yester- + day.
Questions about saying yesterday
How do you pronounce yesterday?
Say YES-ter-day. The American pronunciation is /ˈjɛstɚˌdeɪ/. In British English it is /ˈjɛstədi/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in yesterday?
Yesterday has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (YES). Broken into parts: YES · ter · day.
Is yesterday pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead. The British form is /ˈjɛstədi/ (YES-tuh-dee).