How to pronounce nought
Say it like NAWT. Nought 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 nought. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- NAWT
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Nought pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- NAWTSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "aw" in law.
American vs British pronunciation of nought
American and British speakers say nought in essentially the same way: /nɔt/ in the US and /nɔːt/ in the UK.
British respelling: NAWT.
What does nought mean?
- A thing or person of no worth or value; nil.
- Not any quantity of number; zero; the score of no points in a game.“0.335 cm is nought/zero point three three five of a centimeter.”
- The figure or character representing, or having the shape of, zero.
- Wicked, immoral.
- To abase, to set at nought.
Where does nought come from?
From Middle English nought, noght, noȝt, from Old English nōwiht, nāwiht, which in turn comes from ne-ā-wiht, which was a phrase used as an emphatic "no", meaning "not anything".
Words that rhyme with nought
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of nought.
Words that sound like nought
Questions about saying nought
How do you pronounce nought?
Say NAWT. The American pronunciation is /nɔt/. In British English it is /nɔːt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in nought?
Nought is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: NAWT.
Do Americans and Brits say nought the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /nɔt/ and the British form is /nɔːt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as nought?
Nought sounds the same as naught in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.