Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

kept

/ˈkɛpt/

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.00 in modern English

Syllables: kept
IPA: /ˈkɛpt/

10

Scrabble Score

4

Letters

1

Syllables

4

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

simple past and past participle of keep

Etymology

From Middle English kept, kepte, from Old English cēpte; see -t.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: kept, cēpte

Derived Forms

unkept

Phrases

best-kept secret kept man kept woman worst-kept secret

Synonyms

unbroken

Rhymes With

except accept sept stepped slept swept intercept adept wept crept inept leapt

Questions

How do you pronounce kept?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈkɛpt/.
What does kept mean?: simple past and past participle of keep
Where does kept come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce kept

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