How to pronounce corrupt
Say it like kuh-RUHPT. Corrupt has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (RUHPT).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce corrupt. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- kuh
- RUHPT
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Corrupt pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- kuhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- RUHPTSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "u" in cup.
American vs British pronunciation of corrupt
American and British speakers say corrupt in essentially the same way: /kəˈrʌpt/ in the US and /kəˈrʌpt/ in the UK.
British respelling: kuh-RUHPT.
What does corrupt mean?
- corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality“debauch the young people with wine and women”“Socrates was accused of corrupting young men”
- make illegal payments to in exchange for favors or influence“This judge can be bought”
- place under suspicion or cast doubt upon“sully someone's reputation”
- lacking in integrity“humanity they knew to be corrupt...from the day of Adam's creation”“a corrupt and incompetent city government”
- not straight; dishonest or immoral or evasive
- containing errors or alterations“a corrupt text”“spoke a corrupted version of the language”
Where does corrupt come from?
From Middle English corrupten, derived from Latin corruptus, past participle of corrumpō (“to destroy, ruin, injure, spoil, corrupt, bribe”), from com- (“together”) + rumpō (“to break in pieces”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with corrupt
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of corrupt.
Questions about saying corrupt
How do you pronounce corrupt?
Say kuh-RUHPT. The American pronunciation is /kəˈrʌpt/. In British English it is /kəˈrʌpt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in corrupt?
Corrupt has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (RUHPT). Broken into parts: kuh · RUHPT.
Do Americans and Brits say corrupt the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /kəˈrʌpt/ and the British form is /kəˈrʌpt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.