How to Pronounce Shut

To pronounce "shut", say SHUT — one syllable, IPA /ʃʌt/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

shut

Tap to hear · American accent

Accent

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Speed

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1

Syllable

4

Letters

/ʃʌt/

IPA

💡 Tip for remembering “shut”

"shut" is a single-syllable word — say it in one clean beat. It rhymes with butt and strut, if that helps it stick.

Sounds exactly like: schutt, schut, shutt — easy to mix up when writing.

What does shut mean?

adjective

  1. Closed, shut.
  2. Narrow; confined.

    “a close alley; close quarters”

noun

  1. The act or time of shutting; close.

    “the shut of a door”

  2. A door or cover; a shutter.

verb

  1. To close, to stop from being open.

    “Please shut the door.”

  2. To close, to stop being open.

    “If you wait too long, the automatic door will shut.”

Synonyms

highclose bynearnearbymuggyoppressiveintimate

Antonyms

opendistantfarfar offfarawayremote

Hear “shut” in real sentences

Real example sentences from Tatoeba (CC-BY) — tap to hear each one, or see it used on YouGlish.

Words that rhyme with shut

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

buttstrutsmutglutrutrebutcutthatnutslutchestnutscuttlebutt

Related words

closeexcludeclosedcompressedtightblinkingwinkingsquinting

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "shut"?▾

"Shut" has one syllable.

What is the IPA transcription of "shut"?▾

The IPA transcription of "shut" is /ʃʌt/.

What does "shut" mean?▾

Shut: Closed, shut.

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