How to pronounce neat
Say it like NEET. Neat is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce neat. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- NEET
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Neat pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- NEETSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of neat
American and British speakers say neat in essentially the same way: /nit/ in the US and /niːt/ in the UK.
British respelling: NEET.
What does neat mean?
- clean or organized“her neat dress”“a neat room”
- showing care in execution“neat homework”“neat handwriting”
- free from clumsiness; precisely or deftly executed“he landed a clean left on his opponent's cheek”“a clean throw”
Where does neat come from?
From Middle English nete, net, nette, from Anglo-Norman neit (“good, desirable, clean”), a variant of Old French net, nette (“clean, clear, pure”), from Latin nitidus (“gleaming”), derived from nitēre (“to shine”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with neat
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of neat.
Questions about saying neat
How do you pronounce neat?
Say NEET. The American pronunciation is /nit/. In British English it is /niːt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in neat?
Neat is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: NEET.
Do Americans and Brits say neat the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /nit/ and the British form is /niːt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.