Native Phrase Lab
WillowbrookWord 9 of 100 · Silent letters
How to pronounce honest
/ˈɒnɪst/ British English
ON·ist
2 beats (syllables). The strong beat is the first one.
a Crossed-out letters are silent.
✗ Many people say
HON·est
✓ Say
ON·ist
My tip
The h is silent — so we say an honest man.
In a sentence
To be honest, I don’t know.
Now you say it
- Listen to me two or three times.
- Say it slowly, one beat at a time: ON-ist.
- Say the sentence at normal speed.
Questions
How do you pronounce honest?
In British English, honest is pronounced /ˈɒnɪst/. Say it like this: ON-ist. The h is silent — so we say an honest man.
How many syllables are in honest?
When you say it, honest has 2 syllables: ON-ist. The strong beat is the first one, ON.
More words like this: silent letters
Practise these sounds
- The strong beat: /ɒ/ as in “hot”Meet this sound and hear it in my Sound Atlas. Free.
- The Sound MapAll 44 sounds of British English, in my voice. Free.
- Pitch Perfect: the Silent letters setHear me say it, record yourself, and see your sound under mine. A premium game.
- More gamesFive of my English games are free to play.