2 syllables: guil, ty. Stress on guil.
GIL-tee
/ˈɡɪlti/
guilty is pronounced GIL-tee (/ˈɡɪlti/). It has two syllables (guil-ty), with the stress on "guil". Guilty describes a person who has committed or is believed to have committed a crime or offense. It also conveys a feeling of responsibility or fault in a given situation. In everyday usage, it often appears in legal, moral, or emotional contexts, and can imply admission or confirmation of fault when paired with phrases like “found guilty.”.
Guilty describes a person who has committed or is believed to have committed a crime or offense. It also conveys a feeling of responsibility or fault in a given situation. In everyday usage, it often appears in legal, moral, or emotional contexts, and can imply admission or confirmation of fault when paired with phrases like “found guilty.”
- You may overemphasize the second syllable, making it sound like /ˈɡɪlti/ with equal stress; instead keep primary stress on the first syllable and a short, unstressed second syllable. - You might turn /t/ into a strong, aspirated sound; aim for a quick, light /t/ release or a tap in casual speech (as /ˈɡɪlɾi/ in some contexts). - The /ɪ/ vowel in the first syllable can drift toward /iː/ or /eɪ/ in careful speech; hold it as a short lax /ɪ/ as in sit. Correct by a precise vowel target and a relaxed mouth position before the /l/.
"The jury found him guilty of the charges."
"She always seems guilty even when she’s innocent, which is suspicious."
"He spoke in a calm voice, admitting that he felt guilty about leaving her behind."
You say /ˈɡɪl.ti/. The main stress is on the first syllable: GIL-ty. Start with a clear /ɡ/ closure, move to /ɪ/ as in sit, then release into /l/ with the tongue tip touching the alveolar ridge. The second syllable is light: /ti/ with a short /t/ and a quick /i/ or a reduced vowel. Think of it as two syllables, with the second rapidly following the /l/ and not getting over-emphasized. In careful pronunciation you’ll hear a brief stop between /l/ and /t/ before the /i/.
Two frequent errors are: (1) Making a strong, separate /ti/ with a heavy release, which can sound choppy; (2) Flattening the /ɪ/ to a more open/long vowel, or pronouncing /t/ too strongly, giving a /t/ explosion. Correct by keeping /ɪ/ as a short, lax vowel, allowing the /l/ to flow into a light /t/ without a strong aspirated release, and ensuring the second syllable remains unstressed and short: /ˈɡɪl.ti/.
In US English, /ˈɡɪlti/ with a rhotic R is not present; vowel quality is clipped; /t/ can be flapped in some casual speech leading to /ˈɡɪlɾi/ in some contexts but typically /ˈɡɪlti/. UK English tends to clearer /t/ and slightly brighter /iː/ quality in the second syllable with less vowel reduction; AU English keeps /ɡɪlti/ but may have a more centralized /ɪ/ and softer /t/ release. Overall, stress remains on the first syllable across accents.
Two main challenges: (1) The /ɡ/–/ɪ/–/l/ sequence flows quickly, with a precise tongue-tip /l/ that should not become a lateral slide; (2) The /ti/ cluster at the end can cause a crisper release than typical English weak endings, leading speakers to over-articulate the /t/ or reduce the /i/. Practice smooth alveolar contact and light release to strike a natural cadence: /ˈɡɪl.ti/.
A distinctive feature is the first syllable vowel’s short, lax quality /ɪ/ that sits against a soft, almost whispered second syllable. The main cue is the quick, non-emphatic /l/ in the middle linking to a delicate /t/ release, yielding a two-syllable rhythm distinct from many multisyllabic words where the second syllable carries more weight. Focus on the light, almost clipped second syllable.
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- US: emphasize a shorter, crisper /ɪ/; avoid heavy vowel lengthening; keep /t/ as a light release before a quick schwa-like /i/ if reduced in rapid speech. - UK: maintain clearer /t/ release and cleaner /ɪ/; avoid rhotic influences on the middle consonants; keep a slightly stronger /t/ than US. - AU: tends toward a slightly more centralized /ɪ/ and a softer /t/; keep the rhythm two-syllable with a light second syllable; IPA: /ˈɡɪlti/.
Guilty originates from the Old English word gyltiġ, which is related to the noun gylt meaning fault or crime. The sense evolved from indicating a fault or liability to the legal sense of having been found culpable. The modern form guilt is linked to Old English gylt, and the adjective guilty surfaced in Middle English as a descriptor of someone bearing guilt or culpability. The word’s semantic trajectory mirrors legal and moral language in which an individual is charged with or bears responsibility for a transgression. The path from “fault” to “culpable in a court of law” reflects broader cultural shifts in attributing liability and moral responsibility, with usage expanding into everyday speech to describe private or social remorse. First known uses are documented in medieval legal and religious texts, where guilt and condemnation were central themes and where language around justice and confession began to crystallize into the modern idiom we use today.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "guilty" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "guilty"
-lly sounds
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