3 syllables: de, lin, quent. Stress on lin.
/dɪˈlɪŋkwənt/
Say it backDelinquent is an adjective or noun describing a person, typically a young offender, who commits illegal or antisocial acts. It can also describe overdue payment or neglectful behavior. In pronunciation terms, the word stresses the second syllable and combines a clear initial /dɪ/ with a stronger syllable /lɪŋ/ followed by /kwənt/ in most American and British usages.
- Misplacing stress: Americans often place secondary emphasis on the third syllable rather than the second. Fix: practice with primary stress on the first syllable and secondary on the last group: DEL-ih-kwent vs de-LIN-quent. - Vowel reduction in the middle: people say /ˈdɛlɪnˌkwænt/ or /ˈdɛlənkwənt/ inconsistently. Fix: keep /lən/ with a clear schwa and avoid conflating /ɪ/ with /ɛ/. - Slurring the /kw/ cluster: you may pronounce /kw/ as /k/ or /w/ separately. Fix: train mouth for /k/ + /w/ with a firm stop before /w/, then quickly release into /ən/.
"The delinquent ignored multiple warnings and faced legal consequences."
"A delinquent account finally got shut down after months of nonpayment."
"The town hired counselors to address delinquent behavior among youths."
Pronounced /ˈdɛlənˌkwənt/ (US) or /ˈdelɪŋ.kwənt/ (UK). Stress is main on the first syllable in many US speakers but secondary stress on the /kwənt/ ending gives the /kw/ cluster prominence. Start with a clear /d/ followed by /ɛ/ in ‘del-’, then a light schwa in the second syllable, and finish with /kwənt/ where the /kw/ is tightly rounded and the /ə/ may reduce before the final /nt/. Practice with slow articulation, then speed up while keeping the /kw/ intact.
Common errors: misplacing stress, saying /ˈdɛlɪnˌkwənt/ with the wrong vowel in the second syllable, or slurring the /kw/ into /k/ or /w/. Correction: keep the second syllable as /lən/ with a clear schwa, and produce /kw/ as a consonant cluster immediately after the /n/ in the second half: /lən-kwənt/. Also avoid pronouncing /ˌkwənt/ as /kwənd/ or /kwɒnt/. Isolate the ending: /kwənt/ with a short, crisp /t/.
In US English, you’ll often hear /ˈdɛlənˌkwənt/ with a lighter second syllable and strong /kwənt/ ending. UK speakers may render it as /ˈdelɪŋ.kwənt/, with a shorter first vowel and a more prominent /ŋ/ before the /kw/. Australian English tends to align with UK patterns but often features broader vowels; expect /ˈdɛlɪŋ.kwənt/ with a slightly more centralized vowel in the second syllable and a clear /ŋ/ before /kw/. All share the /kw/ cluster, but vowel qualities and syllable reduction vary.
The difficulty lies in the multi-syllabic rhythm and the consonant cluster /lənkw/ in the middle and ending /kwənt/. The /ə/ schwa reduces, creating a soft middle syllable, while the /kw/ cluster requires precise lip rounding and back-of-mouth constriction. Non-native speakers often misplace primary stress or merge /lən/ with /lə/; practicing the two-stress pattern (delo- vs -li-), and isolating /kw/ helps. Include IPA cues and mouth-position awareness for accuracy.
Delinquent’s unique features are the two-stress pattern and the mid-string /lənkw/ cluster, plus the shift from a potential /dɛ/ or /deli/ onset to a crisp /dɛlənˌkwənt/ or /delɪŋ.kwənt/. The /l/ + /ən/ sequence creates a light, quick second syllable, while the /kwənt/ ending requires precise back-vowel rounding and a crisp stop at /t/. Tracking the syllabic flow and maintaining even tempo distinguishes accurate pronunciation.
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- US: emphasize /ˈdɛlənˌkwənt/; your rhotics are pronounced; keep /r/ aside (none here). - UK: /ˈdelɪŋ.kwənt/; shorter first vowel, larger /ŋ/; ensure /ˈdelɪŋ/ flows smoothly into /kwənt/. - AU: /ˈdɛlɪŋ.kwənt/; vowel broadening slightly, but keep the /ŋ/ before /kw/. Use IPA references to track vowel heights and rhotacism differences, keep /ə/ in the middle syllable light. - Focus on the /l/ and /ŋ/ sequences; do not convert /lən/ to /lənɡ/.
Delinquent comes from Latin delinquent- (pertaining to failing, from delinquere ‘to fail, neglect, offend’). The root delin- derives from de- (away) + linquere (to leave, abandon). In English, it entered legal and moral vocabulary in the 16th-17th centuries, initially relating to neglect or failure to fulfill duties, gradually taking on the criminal or overdue connotations seen today. The shift toward “criminal” or “wrongdoing” often co-occurred with 18th–19th century reforms expanding juvenile justice, where “delinquent” described youths who committed offenses. By the 20th century, “delinquent” was a standard label in both legal phrasing and common usage for overdue obligations (e.g., delinquent accounts) and antisocial behavior, preserving the core sense of failing to meet expected duties. The accentuation and connotation have remained consistent: a problematic, neglected, or overdue state rather than a neutral action, with usage spanning formal legal, academic, and everyday contexts.
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Words that rhyme with "delinquent"
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