How to Pronounce “zeitgeist”

American (US)

/ˈzaɪtɡaɪst/

British (UK)

/ˈzaɪtɡaɪst/

noun — The defining mood and ideas of a particular period.

Example: The film captured the zeitgeist of the late nineties.

A loanword from German. German ei is always the /aɪ/ of “eye”, so both syllables rhyme with “sight”: “TSYTE-gyste”. The z is /ts/ in German, though English usually says a plain /z/.

Where the stress falls. “zeitgeist” has 2 syllables, and the transcription /ˈzaɪtɡaɪst/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the first one — so the first syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.

What does "zeitgeist" mean?

zeitgeist (noun): The defining mood and ideas of a particular period. For example — The film captured the zeitgeist of the late nineties.

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

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "zeitgeist", /ˈzaɪtɡaɪst/, 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 "zeitgeist"?

/ˈzaɪtɡaɪst/ in American English, /ˈzaɪtɡaɪst/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "zeitgeist"?

“zeitgeist” has 2 syllables, and the transcription /ˈzaɪtɡaɪst/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the first one — so the first syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.