How to pronounce must in American English

IPA /mʌst/ Syllables 1 · muhst Stress 1st syllable

MUHST

Start here

Americans pronounce must as MUHST (/mʌst/).

Now you try.

Record yourself saying "must" and play it back. The mic stays on your device — nothing's uploaded.

Ready when you are

Tap the mic to start

Preview your accent profile

Get your accent profile and 5-axes assessment.

Sounds

75%

Clarity

68%

Stress

78%

Intonation

65%

Fluency

62%

Overall assessment

Our AI coach listens to your recording and grades 5 dimensions of pronunciation — then tells you exactly what to fix next.

72% Noticeable accent

Unlock the full report in the app

Why it sounds different

Why "must" sounds like MUHST.

The "" at the end of "" flows directly into the vowel starting "" — the consonant migrates to the next word with no pause between. This is called the Consonant-to-Vowel Linking, the way sentences stop sounding like a list and start sounding like speech. It comes out as MUHST.

In real conversation

Hear "must" in the wild.

Click any sentence to see the full breakdown — every link, every reduction, every flap-T.

"All contractors must comply with our safety standards while on site."

AHL KAHN·trak·terz muhst kuhm·PLAHY wihth ar SAYF·tee STAN·derdz WAHYL ahn SAHYT

"Democratic institutions must be protected from authoritarian tendencies."

deh·muh·KRA·tuhk ihn·stuh·TOO·shuhnz muhst bee pruh·TEHK·tuhd fruhm uh·thor·uh·TAIR·ee·uhn TEHN·duhn·seez

"Every kernel must be perfect for the famous colonel."

EHV·ree KUR·nuhl muhst bee PUR·fuhkt fer dhuh FAY·muhs KUR·nuhl

"Every student must complete the assignment."

EHV·ree STOO·duhnt muhst kuhm·PLEET dhee uh·SAHYN·muhnt

"I must admit that I had not thought about it that way."

ahy muhst uhd·MIHT dhuht ahy huhd NAHT THAHT uh·BOWT iht DHAT WAY

"I must have packed the wrong bag by accident."

ahy MUHST huhv PAKT dhuh RAHNG BAG bahy AK·suh·duhnt

Questions

Questions people ask about this.

Is the American pronunciation of "must" different from British English?

American English uses different vowel shapes, a relaxed retroflex R, and connected-speech tricks like flap-T and glottal-stop T that British Received Pronunciation generally avoids. The respell "MUHST" reflects the casual American form; British dictionaries typically print a citation form with crisper consonants and different vowel choices.