2 syllables: Ig, nore. Stress on nore.
ig-NAWR
/ˌɪˈɡnɔɹ/
Ignore is pronounced ig-NAWR (/ˌɪˈɡnɔɹ/). It has two syllables (Ig-nore), with the stress on "nore". Ignore is a verb meaning to refuse to take notice of something or to disregard it intentionally. It involves withholding attention or acknowledgement, often despite awareness; the act can be deliberate or habitual. In everyday speech it frequently appears in phrases like “ignore the noise” or “ignore him.” It carries a neutral to mildly negative connotation, depending on intent and context.
verbIgnore is a verb meaning to refuse to take notice of something or to disregard it intentionally. It involves withholding attention or acknowledgement, often despite awareness; the act can be deliberate or habitual. In everyday speech it frequently appears in phrases like “ignore the noise” or “ignore him.” It carries a neutral to mildly negative connotation, depending on intent and context.
How to Pronounce Ignore
"Please ignore the banner ad and focus on the content."
"If you ignore their advice, you may miss important warnings."
"She tried to ignore the pain and finished the race."
Ignore is pronounced with the stress on the second syllable: /ɪɡˈnɔːr/ in US English, or /ɪɡˈnɔː/ in UK/AU variants. Start with a short, lax /ɪ/ in the first syllable, then a strong secondary syllable nucleus /ɔː/ with a rhotic ending /r/ in US. The final consonant is an audible /r/ in rhotic varieties. Ensure the mouth opens for /ɔː/ but doesn’t overly round the lips. Audio cues: “ig-NORR.” Practicing in context will help you feel the natural reduced form in connected speech.
Two frequent errors: over-pronouncing the first syllable and misplacing the stress. Some learners say /ɪɡˈɪnɔːr/ or /ɪɡɪˈnɔːr/ with incorrect vowel quality in the second syllable. Correction: keep the second syllable as a clear, stressed nucleus /ˈnɔː/ with a single primary beat: /ɪɡˈnɔːr/. Also, many drop the final /r/ in non-rhotic accents; in US, include the postvocalic /r/ for full rhotic clarity. Practice with a light, quick onset to /ɡ/ and ensure the /n/ is clearly articulated before the long /ɔː/.
In US English, you’ll hear /ɪɡˈnɔːr/ with rhotic /r/ at the end. UK and AU varieties typically reduce the final /r/ (non-rhotic) and render the second syllable as /ˈnɔː/ without the r-lessness becoming strong; you may hear /ɪɡˈnɔː/ with a quieter final /ə/ or none. The initial /ɪ/ is short in both. Australians often use a similar rhotic pattern to US but with slightly broader vowel quality in /ɔː/ and a sometimes more centralized final vowel; IPA approximations: US /ɪɡˈnɔːr/, UK/AU /ɪɡˈnɔː/ (non-rhotic) or light /ɐ/ in some speakers.
The difficulty lies in the consonant cluster transition and the long mid-back vowel /ɔː/ in the stressed nucleus, plus optional rhoticization. Learners may struggle between the /ɡ/ and /n/ sequence and the liquid /r/ ending in rhotic varieties. Also, the silent or weakly pronounced final /r/ in non-rhotic accents creates uncertainty about the ending. Focusing on a quick, light onset before /ɡ/ and maintaining a clean /ɔː/ before /r/ helps clarity.
In isolation, /ɪɡˈnɔːr/ (US) or /ɪɡˈnɔː/ (UK/AU) applies both to the verb and fixed phrases like ‘ignore it.’ When you say ‘I ignore,’ stress remains on the second syllable but the subject-auxiliary rhythm shifts due to sentence stress; you’ll often reduce the first syllable to a quick schwa and emphasize the verb peak: ‘I ig-NOR.’ Pay attention to connected speech: linking from the subject ‘I’ to ‘ignore’ should be smooth but non-elongated.
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Ignore comes from the Middle English ignorre or ignore, from Old French ignorer, from Italian non-ignorare, from Latin ignorare ‘to be unaware of, not know,’ from in- ‘not’ + gnarus ‘knowing, aware.’ The form in English began appearing as ignorer and ignornour in the 14th–15th centuries, eventually consolidating into ignore by the 16th century. The sense shifted from simply not knowing to actively treating something as unworthy of attention. By the 17th–18th centuries, ignore embraced social and rhetorical usage—to deliberately withhold acknowledgment, attention, or recognition. In modern usage, ignore frequently pairs with imperatives or criticisms (e.g., “Ignore the rumors,” “Ignore the noise”) and spans formal, academic, and colloquial registers. The term also participates in idioms like “ignore the heck out of,” reflecting its flexible intensifier role in colloquial speech. Historically, the concept tracks a cognitive and social dynamic: filtering information, deprioritizing stimuli, and exerting control over one’s attentional space. First known uses are attested in literary and legal contexts where deliberate disregard or refusal to acknowledge a given act or statement was described. Over time, the word broadened to cover both intentional and unintentional forms of inattention, though with emphasis on deliberate choice when paired with negation or forceful verbs.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Ignore" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Ignore" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Ignore"
-ore sounds
-oor sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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