How to pronounce delight
Say it like dih-LYTE. Delight has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (LYTE).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce delight. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- dih
- LYTE
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Delight pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- dihKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- LYTESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in time.
American vs British pronunciation of delight
American and British speakers say delight in essentially the same way: /dɪˈlaɪt/ in the US and /dɪˈlaɪt/ in the UK.
British respelling: dih-LYTE.
What does delight mean?
- give pleasure to or be pleasing to“These colors please the senses”“a pleasing sensation”
- take delight in“he delights in his granddaughter”
- hold spellbound
- a feeling of extreme pleasure or satisfaction“his delight to see her was obvious to all”
- something or someone that provides a source of happiness“a joy to behold”“the pleasure of his company”
Where does delight come from?
Attested from the 13th century, from Middle English delite, from Old French deleiter, deliter, from Latin dēlectāre (“to delight, please”), frequentative of dēlicere (“to allure, entice”), from dē- (“away”) + laciō (“to lure, to deceive”),
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with delight
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of delight.
Questions about saying delight
How do you pronounce delight?
Say dih-LYTE. The American pronunciation is /dɪˈlaɪt/. In British English it is /dɪˈlaɪt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in delight?
Delight has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (LYTE). Broken into parts: dih · LYTE.
Do Americans and Brits say delight the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /dɪˈlaɪt/ and the British form is /dɪˈlaɪt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.