How to pronounce "était" in English
teɪt
TAYT
Primary stress: TAYT
Hear native speakers say était in context across real video clips
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “était”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
TAYT
Gliding diphthong with sustained vocal resonance.
As a single-syllable word, "était" receives full primary stress when spoken in isolation, though it may take a reduced weak form in connected speech when acting as a function word.
Common Pronunciation Traps & Learner Mistakes
The Trap: Single-syllable words like "était" carry primary acoustic prominence in isolation, but can be swallowed in rapid connected speech.
How Native Speakers Say It: Sustain vowel clarity without rushing into the trailing consonant. Elevate pitch slightly when "était" carries the primary contrast or new information in a sentence.
Connected Speech & Natural Conversational Flow
When "était" is followed by a word starting with a vowel, glide the final consonant into the opening vowel (e.g. "était is" sounds like "était-iz").
In natural sentences, avoid over-stressing "était" unless it conveys the core contrast or focal point of your message.
Authentic Spoken Quotes from Native Video Context
“C’était une année incroyable.”— TEDx TalksWatch clip
“"À Paris tout le monde était coupable."”— YaleCoursesWatch clip
“Tout ça, c’était ma zone de confort.”— TEDx TalksWatch clip
“And, in the end what there was was this, "à Paris tout le monde était coupable,"”— YaleCoursesWatch clip
“Sortir de ma zone de confort, ce n’était pas mon truc.”— TEDx TalksWatch clip
“"À Paris tout le monde était coupable,"--"in Paris everybody was guilty," shouted out one of the prosecutors as they shot men and”— YaleCoursesWatch clip
Practice Speaking “était”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
C’était une année incroyable.
Hear it in context: “était”
13 clipsThe English word “était” is transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as teɪt (phonetic respelling: TAYT). Phonologically, it consists of 1 syllable (TAYT), pronounced as a single stressed monosyllable. Grammatically, “était” functions as a noun. SayItVid indexes 13 authentic English video clips demonstrating how native speakers articulate “était” in natural connected speech across American (US: 8 sampled), British (UK), and Australian (AUS) accents, including verified broadcasts from TEDx Talks, YaleCourses.
Spoken Video Transcripts & Contextual Quotes (5 Verified Clips)
- 🇺🇸 USTEDx TalksClip #1 · @3:58
“C’est cette année que j’ai le plus grandit, de toute ma vie. C’était une année incroyable. Quand on m’a proposée d’être chef d’équipe, Je ne-, je me sentais prête. Je ne-, je me sentais prête.”
- 🇺🇸 USYaleCoursesClip #2 · @46:37
“when you were guilty for whom you were. "À Paris tout le monde était coupable." "In Paris everybody was guilty," said a prosecuting attorney. était coupable."”
- 🇺🇸 USTEDx TalksClip #3 · @1:11
“comme l’impression 3D ou découper des choses avec la machine CNC, mais je ne suis jamais aller plus loin. Tout ça, c’était ma zone de confort. L’instant où j’ai commencé à avoir l’étoffe d’une leader c’est quand je suis”
- 🇺🇸 USYaleCoursesClip #4 · @39:53
“Courbet also did an execution scene. And, in the end what there was was this, "à Paris tout le monde était coupable," Paris tout le monde était coupable,"”
- 🇺🇸 USTEDx TalksClip #5 · @1:58
“Je n’ai pas réussi, j’ai eu l’impression que j’allais les décevoir. J’ai donc voulu abandonner. Sortir de ma zone de confort, ce n’était pas mon truc. Je ne voulais plus essayer.”
Definition & Meaning: “était”
- The honey possum (Tarsipes rostratus).
Example Sentences (2)
- “C’était une année incroyable. Quand on m’a proposée d’être chef d’équipe, Je ne-, je me sentais prête.”
- “"À Paris tout le monde était coupable." "In Paris everybody was guilty," said a prosecuting attorney.”
Pronounce: “était”
- Pronunciation:
- TAYT
- Syllables:
- TAYT
- Written Hyphenation:
- tait
- Primary stress:
- TAYT
- IPA:
- teɪt
- Hear it in context
- était
Words that Rhyme with “était”
-eɪtWords that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"était" (⁄teɪt⁄) has no true homophones in standard English — there are no other words with identical pronunciation. Unlike sound-alike pairs like there / their or peace / piece, "était" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about était
How do you pronounce “était”?
“était” is pronounced ⁄teɪt⁄ (TAYT). Listen to the native-speaker clips above to hear it in real conversation.
Where is the stress in “était”?
The primary stress in “était” is on “TAYT”. Listen for that stressed syllable in the clips above.
What does “était” mean?
The honey possum (Tarsipes rostratus).
How can I hear “était” used in real sentences?
This page has 13 real-world video examples of “était” with synchronized subtitles. Use Previous / Next (or ← / → keys) to hear each one at the exact moment it is spoken.
What is the most common pronunciation mistake when saying “était”?
Single-syllable words like "était" carry primary acoustic prominence in isolation, but can be swallowed in rapid connected speech. Sustain vowel clarity without rushing into the trailing consonant. Elevate pitch slightly when "était" carries the primary contrast or new information in a sentence.