One syllable: hint.
hint
/hɪnt/
hint is pronounced hint (/hɪnt/). It has one syllable (hint), with the stress on "hint". A brief, indirect clue or indication that suggests something without stating it outright. In everyday use, a hint guides interpretation or future action, often implying more information to be inferred. The word can function as a noun or verb in certain constructions, especially in informal speech.
A brief, indirect clue or indication that suggests something without stating it outright. In everyday use, a hint guides interpretation or future action, often implying more information to be inferred. The word can function as a noun or verb in certain constructions, especially in informal speech.
"She gave me a hint about the surprise party without revealing the details."
"If you hint at the solution, I’ll know which method to try next."
"The manager hinted that changes were coming, but wouldn’t specify what they were."
Pronounce it as /hɪnt/ with a short, lax vowel /ɪ/ as in hit. The initial /h/ is breathy, the mouth opens slightly, and the tongue sits high-front without tight tension. The final /t/ is a crisp, unvoiced consonant; avoid linking it to the next word. In careful speech, you should clearly release the /t/ to avoid a glottal stop in careful contexts; in casual speech, a slight unreleased /t/ may occur, but aim for a clean release in formal settings. IPA: US /hɪnt/, UK /hɪnt/, AU /hɪnt/.
Common errors include pronouncing the vowel as a more lax /ɪ/ or a shorter schwa-like sound, which makes the word sound uncertain. Another frequent mistake is merging the final /t/ with a following consonant, producing a /d/ or a glottal stop; aim for a crisp catch and release. Some speakers also voice the final /t/ when emphasizing, turning into a /tʃ/ or /t̬/; maintain unvoiced /t/ without extra voicing. Practice with a held vowel then a strong /t/ release.
Across US/UK/AU, /hɪnt/ remains the core, but alveolar t-accent variations occur. In many US dialects, the /t/ may be flapped or unreleased when followed by a consonant or syllabic in connected speech; in careful pronunciation you can keep a crisp /t/. UK tends toward a crisper, more aspirated /t/ in careful speech, with less vowel reduction. Australian English often shows a lighter /ɪ/ and slightly more fronted vowel quality; the /t/ is typically a clear, unreleased final consonant in careful speech. Overall rhyme remains with mint, hint, print.
The challenge lies in keeping the vowel short and precise while avoiding lenition of the /t/. Many learners drift toward a short vowel near /ɪ/ but unintentionally reduce /t/ into a glottal stop or assimilate it with a following sound, especially in fast speech. The crisp alveolar stop requires precise tongue placement: the tip of the tongue touches the alveolar ridge briefly to produce a clean release. Additionally, subtle differences in aspiration or lack thereof across accents can mislead learners into softening /t/ or altering vowel length.
The key distinguishing feature is the short, tense-lax vowel /ɪ/ immediately followed by a crisp alveolar plosive /t/. Unlike some other monosyllables ending in a nasal or a liquid, 'hint' ends with a crisp stop that is aurally salient and can be heard as a distinct consonant even in rapid speech. The word’s brevity relies on precise timing between the vowel release and the /t/ closure, without vowel lengthening or moraic t-syllable changes.
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Hint traces to the Old English word hent, which meant ‘to seize or grasp quickly’ and is related to the verb hentan in some Germanic languages. By Middle English, hint evolved from a notion of grasping or catching sight of something indirectly, expanding to mean a notion or directive that points toward something not explicitly stated. The semantic jump from a physical grabbing sense to an abstract cue occurred gradually as speakers used the term to describe subtle indications in conversation. The word appears in print in the 15th- and 16th-centuries as a noun meaning a slight or indirect indication, and later took on verb forms in some dialects with meanings like to insinuate or to suggest indirectly. The fundamental idea centers on providing a small, indirect suggestion rather than full information, preserving the notion of a “grasp” or “touch” into conversational guidance.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "hint" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "hint" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "hint"
-int sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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