3 syllables: Ex, tin, guish. Stress on tin.
ik-STING-gwish
/ɪkˈstɪŋɡwɪʃ/
Extinguish is pronounced ik-STING-gwish (/ɪkˈstɪŋɡwɪʃ/). It has three syllables (Ex-tin-guish), with the stress on "tin". Extinguish is a verb meaning to cause something to stop burning or to put an end to a feeling, situation, or condition. It involves swiftly quenching fire or ending a spark of activity, often by depriving it of oxygen or support. The term can also be used metaphorically, as in extinguishing doubts or rumors, implying thorough cessation or neutralization.
verbExtinguish is a verb meaning to cause something to stop burning or to put an end to a feeling, situation, or condition. It involves swiftly quenching fire or ending a spark of activity, often by depriving it of oxygen or support. The term can also be used metaphorically, as in extinguishing doubts or rumors, implying thorough cessation or neutralization.
- Failing to land the primary stress on the second syllable; you might say ex-TING-wish, which sounds off. Ensure the stress is clearly on /ˈstɪŋ/ and not on /ɪk/. - Overemphasizing the final /ɪʃ/ with a strong /t/ release; keep a light, almost silent /t/ or a quick release into /ɡwɪʃ/. - Slurring the /ŋɡw/ cluster into a single sound; instead, practice a smooth /ŋ/ into /g/ then glide to /w/ before the /ɪʃ/.
How to Pronounce Extinguish
"The firefighters managed to extinguish the blaze before it spread to nearby houses."
"She whispered a prayer to extinguish her worries and focus on the task at hand."
"They used a damp cloth to extinguish the small candle on the table."
Pronunciation: /ɪkˈstɪŋɡwɪʃ/ in US/UK/AU. Start with short i in the first syllable, a weak initial yes: /ɪk/. The main stress lands on the second syllable: /ˈstɪŋ/. The final part is /ɡwɪʃ/. Tip: avoid a hard 'gz' cluster; keep a smooth /ŋɡw/ blend. You can hear it in standard dictionaries and practice with audio examples.
Two common errors: misplacing the stress like ex-TIN- guish; pronouncing the /ŋɡ/ cluster too abruptly, yielding an awkward /ŋɡ/ without the smooth /ŋɡw/ transition. Corrections: keep the /ŋ/ and /ɡ/ connected with a light /w/ glide into the final /ɪʃ/ sounds; ensure the /ɪ/ vowel in the second syllable is crisp but not overpronounced. Practice with slow speed and then quick to internalize the natural rhythm.
In US/UK/AU, the primary stress remains on the second syllable. The initial /ɪk/ is fairly similar, but some speakers in certain regions reduce the first syllable more (i.e., /ɪkˈstɪŋɡwɪʃ/ to /əkˈstɪŋɡwɪʃ/). The rhoticity affects vowel color slightly: rhotic accents may influence the following vowel before /ŋ/; however, the /ɪŋ/ and /ɡwɪʃ/ portions stay consistent. Overall, differences are minor and mainly in vowel quality and subtle intonation.
The difficulty lies in the consonant cluster /ŋɡw/ after the stressed /ˈstɪ/. You must sequence the nasal /ŋ/ into the hard /g/ and the rounded /w/ glide without pausing, then move smoothly into the /ɪʃ/ ending. Also, the /t/ is often lightly released in the middle, creating a brief stop that can soften the following cluster. Articulatory planning helps: prepare the /ŋ/ and /g/ together, then glide into /wɪʃ/.
A distinctive feature is the /ɡw/ sequence: a voiced velar plosive followed immediately by a labio-velar approximant /w/. This coarticulation makes the transition between the middle and end of the word especially slippery; you should blend /ŋ/ and /g/ with a soft /w/ before moving into /ɪʃ/. Focusing on that glide helps you avoid two separate, choppy sounds.
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- US: Strong, rhotic vowel color; keep the /r/ away from this word, as it’s not involved. - UK: Tighter /ɪ/ vowel and slightly reduced first syllable; maintain non-rhoticity but keep the /ɪŋɡ/ cluster crisp. - AU: Similar to US/UK, but with a more clipped initial /ɪk/; ensure the /ŋɡw/ transition remains fluid.
Extinguish comes from Middle English extinguien, a combination of Latin ex- (out, from) and fumigare (to extinguish by smoke), from fumus (smoke). The form was influenced by French extinguer before settling into English usage. The root fum- relates to smoke, fire, and burning; the prefix ex- signals removal or extinction. The modern spelling and pronunciation reflect the assimilation of French and Latin roots during the late medieval to early modern period. The earliest known uses in English appear in medical and legal contexts, evolving to general use for dousing fire as well as metaphorical use in religious and moral discourses. By the 17th–18th centuries, extinguish broadened to encompass figurative senses, including quelling dissent, extinguishing rumors, or extinguishing enthusiasm, before stabilizing in contemporary usage as a formal verb with both literal and figurative applications.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Extinguish" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Extinguish"
-ish sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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