How to pronounce inaugurate
Say it like ih-NAW-ghyuh-ret. Inaugurate has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (NAW).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce inaugurate. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- ih
- NAW
- ghyuh
- ret
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Inaugurate pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- ihKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- NAWSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "aw" in law.
- ghyuhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- retKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
American vs British pronunciation of inaugurate
American and British speakers say inaugurate in essentially the same way: /ɪˈnɔɡjərɛt/ in the US and /ɪˈnɔːɡjʊreɪt/ in the UK.
British respelling: ih-NAW-ghyuh-rayt.
What does inaugurate mean?
- To induct (someone) into a dignity or office with a formal ceremony.
- To dedicate (a building, monument, etc.) for public use by a formal ceremony.
- To initiate or usher in (something, as a (significant) course of action, development, organization, or period of time) with a formal ceremony or in a ceremonious manner; also (loosely), to begin or commence (something); to start.
Where does inaugurate come from?
Further from in- (“against; into; on, upon; to, towards”) + augurō (“to act as an augur, interpret omens, augur; to foretell, predict; to conjecture, guess”), from augur (“soothsayer, augur”) + -ō (first conjugation verb-forming suffix) (fu
Questions about saying inaugurate
How do you pronounce inaugurate?
Say ih-NAW-ghyuh-ret. The American pronunciation is /ɪˈnɔɡjərɛt/. In British English it is /ɪˈnɔːɡjʊreɪt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in inaugurate?
Inaugurate has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (NAW). Broken into parts: ih · NAW · ghyuh · ret.
Do Americans and Brits say inaugurate the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ɪˈnɔɡjərɛt/ and the British form is /ɪˈnɔːɡjʊreɪt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.