Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

got

/ɡɑt/

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: 5.91 in modern English

Syllables: got
IPA: /ɡɑt/

4

Scrabble Score

3

Letters

1

Syllables

3

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

Expressing obligation; used with have.

verb

Must; have/has (to).

Colloquial

verb

Have/has.

Colloquial

verb

simple past of get

verb

past participle of get

verb

simple past of git

verb

Have; there is (indicates the possession or existence of something).

verb

Marks the completive or experiential aspect.

Example Sentences

"I can’t go out tonight: I’ve got to study for my exams."
"I got to go study."
"We got to ride to clean up the streets / For our wives and our daughters!"
"They got a new car."
"He got a lot of nerve."
"We got the last bus home."

Etymology

Analogous to Chinese 有, such as Hokkien 有 (ū), Cantonese 有 (jau⁵), Mandarin 有 (yǒu). Sense 1 is also comparable to Malay ada.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ɡɑt/
British English: /ɡɒt/

Usage

Inflected Forms

gots (nonstandard, present) had (past, suppletive) GOTs (plural)

Derived Forms

gotcha gotten ungot

Phrases

where got

Frequently Paired Words

PLP

Synonyms

ever gotta AST AspAT ASAT AAT

Homonyms

ghat

Rhymes With

not lot shot hot bought caught spot scott forgot plot pot slot

Questions

How do you pronounce got?: The recorded pronunciation is /ɡɑt/.
What does got mean?: Expressing obligation; used with have.
Where does got come from?: Analogous to Chinese 有, such as Hokkien 有 (ū), Cantonese 有 (jau⁵), Mandarin 有 (yǒu). Sense 1 is also comparable to Malay ada.

How to pronounce got

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “got”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ɡɑt/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “got”.
Repeat and practice — Say “got” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.