How to pronounce neglect
Say it like nuh-GLEKT. Neglect has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (GLEKT).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce neglect. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- nuh
- GLEKT
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Neglect pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- nuhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- GLEKTSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
American vs British pronunciation of neglect
American and British speakers say neglect in essentially the same way: /nəˈɡlɛkt/ in the US and /nɪˈɡlɛkt/ in the UK.
British respelling: nih-GLEKT.
What does neglect mean?
- leave undone or leave out“How could I miss that typo?”“The workers on the conveyor belt miss one out of ten”
- fail to do something; leave something undone“She failed to notice that her child was no longer in his crib”“The secretary failed to call the customer and the company lost the account”
- fail to attend to“he neglects his children”
- lack of attention and due care
- the state of something that has been unused and neglected“the house was in a terrible state of neglect”
- willful lack of care and attention
Where does neglect come from?
The verb is inherited from Middle English neglect, neclect, derived from Latin neglēctus, perfect passive participle of neglegō (“to make light of, disregard, not to pick up”), itself from nec (“not”) + legō (“to pick up, select”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with neglect
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of neglect.
Questions about saying neglect
How do you pronounce neglect?
Say nuh-GLEKT. The American pronunciation is /nəˈɡlɛkt/. In British English it is /nɪˈɡlɛkt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in neglect?
Neglect has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (GLEKT). Broken into parts: nuh · GLEKT.
Do Americans and Brits say neglect the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /nəˈɡlɛkt/ and the British form is /nɪˈɡlɛkt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.