2 syllables: be, quests. Stress on quests.
bik-WESTS
/bɪˈkwɛsts/
bequests is pronounced bik-WESTS (/bɪˈkwɛsts/). It has two syllables (be-quests), with the stress on "quests". Bequests are legal instruments or directives by which a person leaves personal property or assets to others after death. The plural form refers to multiple such directives or items left in a will or trust. The word is primarily used in legal, estate, and formal contexts, often appearing in discussions of inheritance and testamentary dispositions.
Bequests are legal instruments or directives by which a person leaves personal property or assets to others after death. The plural form refers to multiple such directives or items left in a will or trust. The word is primarily used in legal, estate, and formal contexts, often appearing in discussions of inheritance and testamentary dispositions.
- Bequests word-initially often natural to over- or under-pronounce the /b/; keep a clean bilabial start. - The /kw/ cluster can be pronounced as a simple /k/ if you’re not actively guiding the lips; ensure your lips compress to make the /kw/ blend, not an isolated /k/ plus /w/. - Final /ts/ must be crisp; in rapid speech you may hear a softer /s/ or a glide; practice a rapid /t/ then a sharp release into /s/.
"The will includes several bequests to family members and charities."
"She carefully documented her bequests to ensure they complied with the decedent's wishes."
"Bequests can complicate estate administration when taxes and debts are involved."
Bequests is pronounced /bɪˈkwɛsts/ in US, UK, and AU English. The primary stress is on the second syllable: be-QUESTS. Start with a short 'bi' as in 'bit', then a strong /kw/ blend, followed by /ɛ/ as in 'bet', and end with a crisp /sts/ cluster. Think: bi-KWESTS. For audio references, you can compare with dictionary entries that show /bɪˈkwɛsts/.
Common errors: (1) Misplacing stress, saying be-QU-ests with primary stress on the first syllable; (2) Softening the /kw/ to /k/ or /w/ sounds overload; (3) Dropping the final /s/ or turning /sts/ into /st/ in rapid speech. Correct by emphasizing the second syllable, ensure /kw/ stays as a tight blend, and finish with a clear /ts/ at the end, as in /bɪˈkwɛsts/.
Across accents, the core /bɪˈkwɛsts/ remains, but there are subtle shifts: US and UK typically preserve the /kw/ cluster clearly; Australian speakers may reduce vowel length slightly, still keeping /kw/ intact. Rhoticity affects preceding vowels in connected speech, but bequests itself not heavily rhotic. Listen for crisp final /ts/ in all, though speed can blur it in casual speech.
The difficulty lies in the /kw/ consonant cluster following a short vowel and the final /ts/ cluster, which requires precise tongue positioning and a sharp release. The second syllable carries the primary stress, so you must maintain strong vowel clarity before the /kw/; then finish with a crisp /ts/. Practice isolating the /kw/ blend and the final /ts/ until they sound immediate and natural.
The word features a strong, sharp /-quests/ part where the /kw/ blends into a /ɛ/ vowel and then a rapid /ts/ release; it’s not just 'be-kwests' but a tight sequence that can blur in fast speech. Focus on a quick /kw/ closure, then a clear /ɛ/ vowel, and finish with an audible /ts/ that lands crisply. Visualize the mouth as closing quickly on the /k/ and releasing into /w/ and /ɛ/ smoothly.
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- US: maintain rhoticity in connected speech; the /ɛ/ in bequests is like in 'bet'; keep a slightly tighter jaw and a clear /t/ before /s/. - UK: ensure non-rhoticity does not affect the /kw/; the /ɛ/ is similar, but you might hear a softer vowel in casual speech; keep the final /ts/ crisp. - AU: may reduce vowel length slightly; keep the /kw/ strong and the final /ts/ audible; IPA remains /bɪˈkwɛsts/.
Bequest derives from Old French bequest 'what is left by a will' from late Latin bequestus, from Latin relinquere 'to leave behind, abandon'. The term entered English legal usage in the Middle Ages as part of testamentary language, reflecting the act of bequeathing property by will. It evolved from broader terms for leaving or relinquishing possessions and became specifically associated with wills, estates, and inheritance. In modern English, bequest denotes a specific bequeathed item or sum, sometimes contrasted with a general inheritance; the plural bequests typically references multiple such dispositions. First known use appears in medieval legal charters and treatises as jurists codified testamentary provisions, with the form becoming standardized in 16th-17th century English law texts as common law matured and the vocabulary of estates and probate formalized.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "bequests" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "bequests"
-te) sounds
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