2 syllables: con, tests. Stress on con.
KAHN-tests
/ˈkɑntɛsts/
contests is pronounced KAHN-tests (/ˈkɑntɛsts/). It has two syllables (con-tests), with the stress on "con". Contests refers to events or situations where individuals or teams compete for prizes or recognition. The plural noun typically denotes multiple such competitions, or the concept of competitive events in general. It is used in formal and informal contexts to discuss sporting, academic, or skill-based challenges. In pronunciation, the stress falls on the first syllable: CON-tests.
Contests refers to events or situations where individuals or teams compete for prizes or recognition. The plural noun typically denotes multiple such competitions, or the concept of competitive events in general. It is used in formal and informal contexts to discuss sporting, academic, or skill-based challenges. In pronunciation, the stress falls on the first syllable: CON-tests.
- Misplacing stress or emphasizing the second syllable (con-TESTS). Solution: rehearse saying CON-tests with primary stress on the first syllable and a short, sharp second syllable. - Sloppy final consonant cluster /tɪsts/ or /tɛsts/ that runs together; keep the /t/ release crisp, then a short /s/. Practice with word pairs to train separation, like ‘contests’ vs ‘contexts’. - Over-articulation of vowels leading to an elongated first vowel; keep the /ɒ/ compact and the /ɛ/ distinct but not exaggerated. Practice by slowing down, then speeding up while maintaining accurate mouth positions.
"The national science contests attracted participants from universities across the country."
"She entered several poetry contests to showcase her work."
"The town hosted several contests, including a pie-baking and a triathlon."
Say CON-tests, with primary stress on the first syllable. IPA US/UK/AU: /ˈkɒnˌtɛsts/. Start with /k/ as in 'cat', then /ɒ/ like 'lot' in non-rhotic accents, move to /n/, then an /t/ closure, followed by /ɛ/ as in 'bed', and end with /sts/ producing /t/ + /s/ quickly. Think: a clear C, short O, and a crisp T before the final s.
Common errors include misplacing stress (utterting it as con-TESTS) or turning /t/ into a soft or flapped /ɾ/ in rapid speech. Another frequent issue is devoicing the final /s/ or producing a too-drawn-out /t/ sound. To correct: keep primary stress on /ˈkɒn/ and release the /t/ crisply into /ɛ/ quickly, then add a short /s/ without voicing the final consonant too long.
In General American and Received Pronunciation, the first syllable uses a clear /ɒ/ or open back vowel with non-rhotic tendencies; the second syllable remains /tɛsts/ with a crisp /t/ and /s/. Australian English typically retains a similar pattern but with a more centralized /ɒ/ and a broader vowel quality, sometimes making /ɒ/ sound more like /ɒː/. Overall, rhotics are minimal in UK and AU accents; US accents preserve a crisper alveolar /t/.
The difficulty lies in aligning the two- syllable rhythm and producing the rapid /t/ + /s/ cluster at the end without lodging the /t/ as a heavy stop or elongating the final s. The second syllable has a reduced vowel quality and a quick /t/ release into /s/. Speakers often misplace stress or blur the /n/ into /t/. Focus on the consonant cluster at the boundary, keeping a clean separation between /n/ and /t/, then a crisp /t/ to /s/.
Yes—a subtle but important feature is the contrast between the /n/ and the /t/ at the syllable boundary. It’s not simply ‘con-tests’; it’s a linked transition: /ˈkɒn/ + /tɛsts/. Ensure air passes through the mouth cleanly, with the tongue controlling /n/ before the alveolar stop /t/. Avoid nasalization on the /t/ and keep the final /s/ unvoiced and quick.
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- US: Maintain clear /ɒ/ or /ɑ/ vowel in the first syllable with a crisp /t/ before the /ɛ/; rhoticity is not essential in non-rhotic regions, but you’ll still make a sharp /t/ release. - UK: Non-rhotic; keep the /ɒ/ broad and precisions on /t/; avoid lengthening the second syllable. - AU: Similar to UK but with slightly brighter vowel quality; keep final /s/ silent or unreleased lightly voiced; ensure the /t/ is not flapped. Use IPA notes: US /ˈkɒnˌtɛsts/, UK /ˈkɒnˌtɛsts/, AU /ˈkɒnˌtɛsts/.
The word contests comes from Middle English contesten, from Old French contester, from Latin contestari, frequentative of testari ‘to bear witness, prove’. The sense evolved from “assert, contend” to “a public competition.” In English, contest retained the core meaning of striving to win or prove superiority. By the 14th century, contest as a noun referred to a struggle or dispute, and later also to organized competitions. The plural form contests follows standard English pluralization, adding -s. The semantic shift toward formal events began in the 18th–19th centuries with organized athletic, academic, and literary contests becoming common. The root contest shares semantics with contend, contestare, and contestum, all related to testing, proving, or arguing a point. First known use in English as a noun reflects the sense of a public challenge or trial, later generalized to multiple events like contests of skill, knowledge, or endurance. The word has retained its dual sense of dispute and competition across modern usage. In contemporary English, “contests” most often denotes multiple competitive events, though it can also refer to a single, ongoing contest when used in a plural sense idiomatically (e.g., “The contests between teams are fierce”).
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "contests" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "contests"
-sts sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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