American English pronunciation
How to pronounce cat
/kæt/kat1 syllable
“cat” hinges on a vowel that's easy to slip on. It's a single syllable, and the trick is in the sounds below — hear it, then say it back and let our AI model show you how close you landed.
Say it & get scored
Hear cat, then record yourself and our AI model will score your pronunciation, sound by sound.
The sounds to nail
- /æ/as in cat
Smile slightly, tongue low and front. Don't let it drift toward 'eh'.
Trickier for some first languages
The sounds in “cat” are common stumbling blocks for speakers of:
Common questions
- How many syllables are in “cat”?
- “Cat” has 1 syllable: kat.
- What is the IPA for “cat”?
- The American English IPA transcription of “cat” is kæt.
- How can I practice pronouncing “cat”?
- Press play to hear “cat” spoken by our AI model, then record yourself on this page to get an instant pronunciation score — your first try needs no account.
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