How to pronounce negotiate
Say it like nuh-GOH-shee-ayt. Negotiate has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (GOH).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce negotiate. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- nuh
- GOH
- shee
- ayt
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Negotiate 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.
- GOHSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "o" in go.
- sheeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- aytGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of negotiate
- The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh".
British respelling: nih-GOH-shih-ayt.
What does negotiate mean?
- discuss the terms of an arrangement“They negotiated the sale of the house”
- succeed in passing through, around, or over“The hiker negociated the high mountain pass”
Where does negotiate come from?
c. 1598; borrowed from Latin negōtiātus, perfect active participle of negōtior (“to do business, trade”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from negotium (“business”) + -or, from nec (“not”) + otium (“leisure, ease, inactivity”).
Words that rhyme with negotiate
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of negotiate.
Questions about saying negotiate
How do you pronounce negotiate?
Say nuh-GOH-shee-ayt. The American pronunciation is /nəˈɡoʊʃiˌeɪt/. In British English it is /nɪˈɡəʊʃɪˌeɪt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in negotiate?
Negotiate has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (GOH). Broken into parts: nuh · GOH · shee · ayt.
Is negotiate pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh". The British form is /nɪˈɡəʊʃɪˌeɪt/ (nih-GOH-shih-ayt).