2 syllables: Ig, nite. Stress on nite.
ig-NEYET
/ˌɪˈɡnaɪt/
Ignite is pronounced ig-NEYET (/ˌɪˈɡnaɪt/). It has two syllables (Ig-nite), with the stress on "nite". Ignite is a verb meaning to start burning or to excite or arouse a process or feeling. It often refers to initiating a flame, a reaction, or enthusiasm. In everyday use, you ignite something physically (a match) or metaphorically (passion, a debate, interest) to trigger momentum or growth.
verbIgnite is a verb meaning to start burning or to excite or arouse a process or feeling. It often refers to initiating a flame, a reaction, or enthusiasm. In everyday use, you ignite something physically (a match) or metaphorically (passion, a debate, interest) to trigger momentum or growth.
"The spark from the lighter will ignite the kindling."
"Her speech ignited a new sense of purpose in the team."
"The engine failed to ignite, and we stalled on the highway."
Pronounce as /ɪɡˈnaɪt/ in US and UK English, with primary stress on the second syllable. Start with a short, lax vowel /ɪ/ as in bit, then a hard /ɡ/ followed by the diphthong /aɪ/ as in I, ending with /t/. The sequence is i-gnite, with the accent on “nait.” Mouth: relax jaw, raise the back of the tongue for /ɡ/, then glide into the high-front position for /aɪ/. Audio resources: you can compare to pronunciations on Forvo or YouGlish for natural intonation.
Two common errors are misplacing the stress (say ig-NITE vs IG-nite) and mispronouncing the /aɪ/ diphthong as a pure /i/ or /eɪ/. Another frequent issue is articulating the initial /ɡ/ too softly, causing “in-ite” to emerge. Correct by ensuring clear /ɡ/ closure before the /aɪ/ glide, keeping the tongue high for /aɪ/, and stressing the second syllable: /ɪɡˈnaɪt/.
In US/UK, the primary stress remains on the second syllable, but rhoticity can affect linking in connected speech; US speakers may exhibit slight /ɹ/ coarticulation before vowels, while UK speakers keep a stiffer /t/ without rhotic linking. Australian speakers typically maintain /ɪɡˈnaɪt/ with clear /ɡ/ and a brighter /aɪ/. Overall, vowel quality of /ɪ/ and the onset /ɡ/ remain consistent, with minor vowel length and flapping variation in informal US contexts.
The difficulty lies in the strong onset /ɡ/ immediately before the rising diphthong /aɪ/, which requires precise timing and tongue positioning. The combination /ɡnaɪ/ can cause a slight cramp if you overly voice the /n/ or blend the /ɪ/ too much into /ɡ/. Mastery comes from separating the stop /ɡ/ from the following /aɪ/ with a clean release and ensuring the second syllable carries the peak stress.
There is no silent letter in ignite; every sound is spoken: the /ɪ/ vowel, the /ɡ/ stop, the /aɪ/ diphthong, and the final /t/. The challenge is the consonant-vowel boundary between /ɡ/ and /aɪ/ and maintaining clear separation so you don’t blend into a single syllable like /ɪnˈaɪt/ or /ɪɡnaɪt/. Focus on clean release of /ɡ/ and a crisp /t/ at the end.
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Ignite comes from the Latin ignire, related to ignis meaning fire. The term entered English via Old French in the late medieval period as igniter or ignition, evolving from nouns and adjectives related to fire into a transitive verb meaning to set afire or to excite. The core semantic drift centers on transforming inanimate or potential energy into active flame or intensity. Early uses described literal lighting or kindling, then broadened to metaphorical ignition—sparking passion, interest, or action. Over time, ignite consolidated as a common verb in scientific, industrial, and everyday contexts, paralleling terms like ignite a reaction in chemistry or ignite a debate in discourse. First known attestations appear in Middle English texts influenced by Norman French, with the modern sense of “start burning or excitability” solidifying by the 16th–17th centuries and expanding robustly in the 19th and 20th centuries as technology and communication tools created new avenues for ignition—lights, engines, ideas, movements.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Ignite" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Ignite" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Ignite"
-ite sounds
-ght sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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