How To Pronounce Want

want

Phonemic

/wɒnt/

Phonetic

[wɒ̃nt̚]

Phonemic

/wɑːnt/

In British English, want is pronounced /wɒnt/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [wɒ̃nt̚]. In American English, it is pronounced /wɑːnt/.

Want has one syllable. The British and American pronunciations are different, so listen to both.

Slashes / / show the phonemic transcription, the sounds that change meaning. Square brackets [ ] show the phonetic transcription, with the finer detail of how the sounds are actually made.

Syllables, Stress And Endings

Syllables And Stress

wɒnt

Want has one syllable in British English.

want + -s

-s (plural, possessive or singular verb) is /s/ after a voiceless consonant.

/wɒnts/

/wɑːnts/

want + -ed

-ed (past tense or past participle) is /ɪd/ after /t/ or /d/.

/ˈwɒn.tɪd/

/ˈwɑːn.t̯ɪd/

want + -ing

-ing is always /ɪŋ/.

/ˈwɒn.tɪŋ/

/ˈwɑːn.t̯ɪŋ/

Questions About Want

How do you pronounce want in British English?

In British English, want is pronounced /wɒnt/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [wɒ̃nt̚].

How do you pronounce want in American English?

In American English, want is pronounced /wɑːnt/.

Do British and American English pronounce want the same way?

No. British English has /wɒnt/ and American English has /wɑːnt/.

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