4 syllables: In, dem, ni, ty. Stress on dem.
in-DEM-nuh-tee
/ˌɪˈndɛmnəti/
Indemnity is pronounced in-DEM-nuh-tee (/ˌɪˈndɛmnəti/). It has four syllables (In-dem-ni-ty), with the stress on "dem". Indemnity is a legal or contractual promise to compensate for harm or loss, typically by paying money to cover damages. It also refers to protection against such liability. The term is often used in insurance, contracts, and tort law to allocate risk and ensure compensation for specified harms.
nounIndemnity is a legal or contractual promise to compensate for harm or loss, typically by paying money to cover damages. It also refers to protection against such liability. The term is often used in insurance, contracts, and tort law to allocate risk and ensure compensation for specified harms.
"The insurance policy provides indemnity for medical expenses resulting from accidents."
"A clause in the contract offered indemnity against any future claims arising from the project."
"The court approved the indemnity agreement to shield the company from liability."
Pronounce as in-DEMN-i-ty. IPA US: ɪnˈdɛm.nə.ti; UK: ɪnˈdem.nə.ti; AU: ɪnˈdem.nə.ti. Stress falls on the second syllable: dem. The first syllable is short and unstressed; the middle syllable uses a schwa-like reduction in many speakers. Ensure the ‘emn’ cluster has a clear /d/ onset following the initial syllable.
Common errors: misplacing stress (pronouncing IN-dem-ni-ty), overpronouncing the ‘emn’ cluster making it too heavy, and shortening the final -ty to /tiː/ or /tɪ/ instead of a short /ti/. Correction: emphasize the second syllable with /ˈdɛm/ and use a light, unstressed final /i/. Keep the middle syllable neutral /nə/ or /nə/ (schwa). Practice with slow, articulated enunciations before speed.
In US English, the sequence is /ɪnˈdɛm.nə.ti/, with a rhotic American /r/? no; indemnity is non-rhotic in most contexts, but the /r/ is not present. In UK English, /ˌɪn.dɛmˈnɪ.ti/ or /ɪnˈdem.nə.ti/, depending on speaker; some diphthongization differences exist in the first vowel. Australian often mirrors US with /ɪnˈdɛm.nə.ti/, but vowel quality may be broader. Overall, primary stress on the second syllable remains consistent; the middle vowel tends toward schwa in many accents.
Three main challenges: the multi-syllabic cadence with three vowels and the -m-n- cluster in the middle; the schwa in the second syllable can be unclear; and the final -ty often blends into a light /ti/ that's easy to swallow in fast speech. Focus on distinct syllable boundaries, keeping /dɛm/ clearly separated from /nə/ and ending with a crisp /ti/. Practice with slow, deliberate speech and minimal pairs to reinforce the sequence.
The word contains a tricky assimilation where the t sound at the end of /dɛm/ can blend slightly with the following /n/ in faster speech, producing a subtle nasalized transition. You can counter this by isolating the /nə/ with a brief pause or a more explicit mouth position for /n/ before moving to /ti/. Emphasize the second syllable’s /ɛm/ clearly to reinforce the stress pattern.
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Indemnity comes from French indemnité, itself from Latin indemnitas ‘unchanging’ or ‘uninjured,’ from in- ‘not’ + damnum ‘harm, loss.’ The form entered English via legal and administrative contexts in the late medieval period as commerce and insurance developed. Early use centered on the concept of protection against financial loss, evolving to denote a specific obligation to compensate a loss-causing event. The sense broadened to include guarantees against liability and the security provided by bonds and insurance contracts. By the 17th–18th centuries, indemnity clauses became standard in maritime, commercial, and statutory contexts, shaping modern contract law’s risk allocation framework.
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Words that rhyme with "Indemnity"
-me) sounds
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