2 syllables: gun, shot. Stress on gun.
GUHN-shaht
/ˈɡʌˌnʃɑt/
gunshot is pronounced GUHN-shaht (/ˈɡʌˌnʃɑt/). It has two syllables (gun-shot), with the stress on "gun". Gunshot refers to the discharge of a firearm, producing a loud explosive sound and, in some contexts, the projectile itself. In everyday usage it can describe the event or the resulting wound, and is often discussed in news, law enforcement, or medical settings. The term combines the words gun and shot, functioning as a compound noun in modern English.
Gunshot refers to the discharge of a firearm, producing a loud explosive sound and, in some contexts, the projectile itself. In everyday usage it can describe the event or the resulting wound, and is often discussed in news, law enforcement, or medical settings. The term combines the words gun and shot, functioning as a compound noun in modern English.
"The police cordoned off the street after the gunshot rang out."
"A gunshot wound required urgent medical attention at the scene."
"The documentary analyzed the dramatic gunshot as a turning point in the trial."
Say /ˈɡənˌʃɑt/ (US) or /ˈɡənˌʃɒt/ (UK). Start with a hard /ɡ/ into the /ən/ schwa-less or relaxed syllable, then glide to /ʃ/ for 'sh', and end with /ɑt/ (US) or /ɒt/ (UK). The primary stress is on the first syllable: GUN-shot. Keep the /n/ light and avoid inserting a vowel between /ɡ/ and /n/.
Common errors include inserting an extra vowel after the /ɡ/ (saying 'gun-uh-shot'), over-aspirating the /n/ or turning /ʃ/ into /s/ or /ʃw/, and misplacing the stress by delaying it to the second syllable. Correction: keep /ˈɡən/ as a tight onset, reduce the second syllable to /ʃɒt/ or /ʃɑt/ without adding vowels, and maintain crisp /t/ at the end. Practice with minimal pairs to lock the /n/ and /ʃ/ sequence.
In US English, /ˈɡənˌʃɑt/ with a rhotacized /ɡən/ and a clear /ɑ/. In UK English, /ˈɡənˌʃɒt/ features a shorter /ɒ/ vowel and less rhoticity; the /ɡən/ is often unstressed in rapid speech. In Australian English, vowel quality broadens: /ˈɡənˌʃɒt/ with less vowel reduction and a punchier /t/. Overall, the main differences are vowel height and rhoticity, not the consonant cluster.
The sequence /ˈɡənˌʃ/ demands precise coordination: softening the /n/ before /ʃ/, maintaining a crisp /t/ without a released vowel, and not adding an extra vowel between /ɡ/ and /n/. The initial cluster 'gun' can invite an intrusive vowel in fast speech, and the final /t/ can be unreleased in casual talk, weakening the ending. Focusing on the tight onset and steady /ʃ/ helps stabilize the word.
A unique aspect is maintaining a clear, non-splitting /ə/ (schwa) relatively early in the first syllable: /ˈɡən/ rather than /ˈɡʌn/. Also, ensuring the /t/ is released crisply rather than lingering as a glottal stop in many dialects. In careful speech you’ll hear a distinct transition from /ən/ to /ʃ/ that marks the word boundary cleanly.
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The term gunshot originates from a compound of 'gun' (a weapon designed to propel a projectile) and 'shot' (a projectile fired from a firearm). 'Gun' traces to Old Norse or Germanic roots through Middle English, related to weapons used since the late medieval period. 'Shot' derives from Old English scæt (dart, projectile) and later broadened to include the act of firing and the projectile itself. The combined noun began appearing in English texts as firearms became widespread in the early modern period, particularly from the 16th to 18th centuries, when legal and military language started to standardize terms for weapon discharge. Over time, gunshot evolved to denote both the event and injuries caused by a firearm discharge in medical, legal, and journalistic vocabulary, maintaining its sense of a sudden, forceful discharge. First known uses appear in historical records related to warfare and policing, with common usage in crime reporting and medical documentation by the 19th and 20th centuries.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "gunshot" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "gunshot" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "gunshot"
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