English pronunciation · Words Starting with B

Banquet Pronunciation

Banquet is pronounced BANG-kwuht, IPA /ˈbæŋkwət/.

BANG-kwuht

US /ˈbæŋkwət/  ·  UK /ˈbæŋkwɪt/

Syllables: BANG · kwuht (2 syllables, stress on syllable 1)

noun and verb: A large formal meal for many people.

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Banquet in a Sentence

  • The banquet ran until well past midnight.
  • A banquet was held in the guildhall.
  • They banqueted for three days after the coronation.

Common Mispronunciations of Banquet

Not BAN-kay

English fully anglicised this French borrowing, so the t is sounded and the ending is a short kwuht. The silent-t reading follows banquette instead.

Not ban-KET

The qu carries a w glide, so the second half is kwuht, and it stays quiet. The beat never leaves BANG.

Tip: The n before the q comes out as the ng of sing, which is why it sounds like BANG at the start.

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