How to Pronounce “guarantee”

American (US)

/ˌɡæɹ.ənˈtiː/

British (UK)

/ˌɡæɹ.ənˈtiː/

noun — Anything that assures a certain outcome.

Example: Can you give me a guarantee that he will be fit for the match?

Where the stress falls. “guarantee” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /ˌɡæɹ.ənˈtiː/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the third one — so the third syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.

An unstressed vowel reduces to schwa. /ˌɡæɹ.ənˈtiː/ contains a schwa /ə/ — the short, neutral “uh” that English unstressed syllables collapse into. Saying /ə/ there, instead of the vowel the spelling suggests, is most of what makes the word sound native.

What does "guarantee" mean?

guarantee (noun): Anything that assures a certain outcome. For example — Can you give me a guarantee that he will be fit for the match?

How do you pronounce "guarantee" in American vs British English?

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "guarantee", /ˌɡæɹ.ənˈtiː/, so the difference you hear is in how the vowels are coloured rather than in which sounds are used. Play both on this page to compare.

What is the IPA transcription of "guarantee"?

/ˌɡæɹ.ənˈtiː/ in American English, /ˌɡæɹ.ənˈtiː/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "guarantee"?

“guarantee” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /ˌɡæɹ.ənˈtiː/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the third one — so the third syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.