How to pronounce slight
Say it like SLYTE. Slight 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 slight. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SLYTE
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Slight pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SLYTESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in time.
American vs British pronunciation of slight
American and British speakers say slight in essentially the same way: /slaɪt/ in the US and /slaɪt/ in the UK.
British respelling: SLYTE.
What does slight mean?
- a deliberate discourteous act (usually as an expression of anger or disapproval)
- pay no attention to, disrespect“She cold-shouldered her ex-fiance”
- (quantifier used with mass nouns) small in quantity or degree; not much or almost none or (with a) at least some“little rain fell in May”“gave it little thought”
- lacking substance or significance“slight evidence”“a tenuous argument”
- being of delicate or slender build“she was slender as a willow shoot is slender”“a slim girl with straight blonde hair”
Where does slight come from?
From Middle English slight (“bad, of poor quality, unimportant, trivial, slender, slim, smooth, level”), from Old English sliht (“smooth, level”), from Proto-Germanic *slihtaz (“slippery, flat, level, plain”), related to English slick.
Words that rhyme with slight
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of slight.
Words that sound like slight
Questions about saying slight
How do you pronounce slight?
Say SLYTE. The American pronunciation is /slaɪt/. In British English it is /slaɪt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in slight?
Slight is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SLYTE.
Do Americans and Brits say slight the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /slaɪt/ and the British form is /slaɪt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as slight?
Slight sounds the same as sleight in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.