How to pronounce "contest" in EnglishNoun
ˈkɒntɛst
KON·test
Primary stress: KON
Hear native speakers say contest in context across real video clips
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “contest”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
KON
Elevated pitch, sustained vowel length, and full acoustic clarity.
test
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
Primary emphasis falls on the first syllable ("KON"). Raise your pitch and sustain the vowel length on this syllable while relaxing the surrounding syllables.
Common Pronunciation Traps & Learner Mistakes
The Trap: Avoid pronouncing every vowel with full acoustic weight. Non-native speakers often over-enunciate unstressed vowels.
How Native Speakers Say It: Only give full vowel clarity to the primary stressed syllable. Relax all unstressed vowels into a neutral, low-energy schwa (⁄ə⁄).
Connected Speech & Natural Conversational Flow
When "contest" is followed by a word starting with a vowel, glide the final consonant into the opening vowel (e.g. "contest is" sounds like "contest-iz").
In natural sentences, avoid over-stressing "contest" unless it conveys the core contrast or focal point of your message.
Authentic Spoken Quotes from Native Video Context
“contest and I've noticed first of all I've noticed whoever it is that wins that number one slot she's usually”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“contest and Andy Burnham's language there was quite carefully chosen around entering a leadership contest were there to be one”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“contest i said i'd love to now again remember this is 1958 we weren't even answering machines”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“contest somehow so that is how uh that's the background and this is from the”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“contest, that's going to be a sort of double mandate problem.”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“contest yet. Um it would be likely Andy Burnham if if he said if he said but none of that has happened yet, but it still looks so unlikely he'll be able to”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
Practice Speaking “contest”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
contest and I've noticed first of all I've noticed whoever it is that wins that number one slot she's usually
Hear it in context: “contest”
3,206 clipsThe English word “contest” is transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as ˈkɒntɛst (phonetic respelling: KON-test). Phonologically, it consists of 2 syllables (KON · test), with primary lexical stress placed on the 1st (initial) syllable (KON). Grammatically, “contest” functions as a noun, verb and acts as an English heteronym where syllable stress shifts between noun (initial-syllable stress) and verb (second-syllable stress) usage. SayItVid indexes 3,206 authentic English video clips demonstrating how native speakers articulate “contest” in natural connected speech across American (US: 8 sampled), British (UK), and Australian (AUS) accents.
Spoken Video Transcripts & Contextual Quotes (5 Verified Clips)
- 🇺🇸 USClip #1 · @3:40
“but I've watched the Miss America contest and I've noticed first of all I've noticed whoever it is that wins that number one slot she's usually I've noticed whoever it is that wins”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #2 · @4:11
“the act of his resignation itself would trigger a contest and Andy Burnham's language there was quite carefully chosen around entering a leadership contest were there to be one carefully chosen around entering a leadership contest were there to be one”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #3 · @9:17
“to come to the easter egg rolling contest i said i'd love to now again remember this is 1958 we weren't even answering machines remember this is 1958”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #4 · @19:12
“stop at that point we have to stop the contest somehow so that is how uh that's the background and this is from the the background and this is from the”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #5 · @16:12
“fortunes. Perhaps he can't. But, if there isn't even a Labour leadership contest, that's going to be a sort of double mandate problem. And the last person to find that out to their cost was Gordon Brown. You know, if he”
Definition & Meaning: “contest”
- Controversy; debate.
- Struggle for superiority; combat.
- To contend.
- To call into question; to oppose.
Example Sentences (3)
- “no contest”
- “I will contest for the open seat on the board.”
- “contest and I've noticed first of all I've noticed whoever it is that wins that number one slot she's usually”
Common Phrases & Collocations
Pronounce: “contest”
- Pronunciation:
- KON-test
- Syllables:
- KON · test
- Written Hyphenation:
- con · test
- Primary stress:
- KON
- IPA:
- ˈkɒntɛst
- Hear it in context
- contest
Synonyms: “contest”
Hear words related in meaning to “contest” in real video clips:
Words that Rhyme with “contest”
-ɒntɛstWords that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"contest" (⁄ˈkɒntɛst⁄) 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, "contest" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about contest
How do you pronounce “contest”?
“contest” is pronounced ⁄ˈkɒntɛst⁄ (KON-test). Listen to the native-speaker clips above to hear it in real conversation.
How many syllables are in “contest”?
“contest” has 2 syllables: KON · test.
Where is the stress in “contest”?
The primary stress in “contest” is on “KON”. Listen for that stressed syllable in the clips above.
What does “contest” mean?
Controversy; debate.
How can I hear “contest” used in real sentences?
This page has 3206 real-world video examples of “contest” 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 “contest”?
Avoid pronouncing every vowel with full acoustic weight. Non-native speakers often over-enunciate unstressed vowels. Only give full vowel clarity to the primary stressed syllable. Relax all unstressed vowels into a neutral, low-energy schwa (⁄ə⁄).