Pronunciation guide

How to pronounce kindergarten

KIN-der-gar-ten - four syllables; it ends in '-garten', not '-garden'

US/ˈkɪndəɹˌɡɑːɹtən/

kɪndəɹɡɑːɹtən

UK/ˈkɪndəˌɡɑːtən/

kɪnɡɑːtən

New to IPA symbols? Read the IPA guide.

Common mistake

It is '-gar-ten' (German for 'garden'), not '-gar-den'.

What “kindergarten” means

An educational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6; nursery school.

The elementary school grade before first grade.

In a sentence

  • Kindergarten helps children develop basic social and literacy skills.
  • Our daughter starts kindergarten next fall.

Say it out loud a few times, then check yourself.

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Definitions and examples are derived from Wiktionary, used under CC BY-SA 4.0, then edited by QuickPronounce. Pronunciation data draws on CMUdict.