3 syllables: in, hib, it. Stress on hib.
in-HIB-uht
/ˌɪˈnhɪbət/
inhibit is pronounced in-HIB-uht (/ˌɪˈnhɪbət/). It has three syllables (in-hib-it), with the stress on "hib". Inhibit means to restrain, hinder, or prevent an action, process, or reaction. It can refer to natural bodily controls, social behavior, or chemical/biological processes. In everyday use, it often describes delaying or blocking a response due to caution or regulation. The term carries neutral to slightly negative connotations, depending on context.
Inhibit means to restrain, hinder, or prevent an action, process, or reaction. It can refer to natural bodily controls, social behavior, or chemical/biological processes. In everyday use, it often describes delaying or blocking a response due to caution or regulation. The term carries neutral to slightly negative connotations, depending on context.
"The medication can inhibit the growth of this bacteria."
"Cultural norms inhibit spontaneous expression in formal settings."
"Genetic mutations can inhibit an enzyme’s activity."
Pronounce as /ɪnˈhɪb.ɪt/ (US/UK/AU share the same stress pattern). The primary stress falls on the second syllable: in-HIB-it. Start with a short, lax ‘i’ in the first syllable, then a crisp ‘hib’ with a slightly aspirated /h/ after the /n/. End with a light, clipped /ɪt/. Tip: keep the mouth rounded lightly for /ɪ/ in the second syllable and avoid an extra syllable. Audio reference: you can hear /ɪnˈhɪbɪt/ in common dictionaries’ audio clips.
Common errors: 1) Landing the second syllable with reduced stress or misplacing the /h/ (you might say /ɪnˈɪbɪt/ or /ɪnˈhɪbət/). 2) Prolonging the second syllable into /-ɪt/ or adding an extra /ə/ before the final /t/. 3) Merging /n/ with the following /h/ into /nh/ or failing to release the /t/ cleanly. Corrections: emphasize the second syllable with clear /ˈhɪb/, keep /t/ voiceless and crisp, and maintain /ɪ/ in the final schwa-ish; practice with minimal pairs to hear the tempo and consonant boundaries.
Across US/UK/AU, the word remains with primary stress on the second syllable /ˈhɪbɪt/. In rhotic US, you’ll hear /ɪnˈhɪbɪt/ with a rhotic-ish resonance on the /ɪ/ preceding the vowel sequence, though not all speakers strongly rhoticate /r/ because none is present. UK and AU typically have non-rhotic varieties; the /ˈhɪbɪt/ part stays crisp without an /r/ influence. Vowel quality of /ɪ/ can be a bit shorter in British English, slightly more centralized in some Australian speakers; overall the rhythm and stress pattern stay consistent. IPA references: US /ɪnˈhɪbɪt/, UK /ɪnˈhɪbɪt/, AU /ɪnˈhɪbɪt/.
The difficulty centers on rebalancing the cluster boundaries: the /n/ quickly followed by /h/ creates a breathy onset for the /h/ that can blur if you don’t articulate clearly. The second syllable carries stronger stress, requiring a crisp release of /b/ and stopping action of /t/ at the end, which many learners flatten into /-t/ or devoice. Additionally, the /ɪ/ vowels in both first and second syllable can drift; maintain consistent short /ɪ/ and avoid vowel lengthening before /b/. Focus on anchoring the /n/ release into /h/ transition and finishing with a clean /t/.
Is there a silent letter or silent sequence in inhibit? No. Each letter participates in a present sound sequence: /ɪ/ + /n/ + /ˈhɪ/ + /b/ + /ɪ/ + /t/. The tricky part is aligning the /n/ and /h/ into a smooth /nh/ transition and ensuring the final /t/ is crisp without a following vowel sound. The primary challenge is cluster rhythm and the phonetic boundary between /b/ and /ɪ/ as you move to the second vowel.
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Inhibit derives from the Latin inhibere, formed from in- (in, into, not) and habere (to have, hold). The sense evolved from “hold in or restrain” to “slow or prevent action.” Early Latin usage in linguistic and philosophical contexts emphasized constraint, with the term entering English via later Latin and Old French/Medieval Latin derivatives. Over centuries, discussants used inhibit to describe restraining forces in biological, chemical, and social sciences. The modern sense—to restrain or prevent an action or process—became common in scientific writing from the 18th to 19th centuries, particularly in physiology and pharmacology when describing inhibitory mechanisms. By the 20th century, inhibit appeared broadly in psychology, sociology, and molecular biology to indicate suppression or reduction of activity. First known English uses appear in scholarly discourse exploring constrained behavior, while popular usage followed medical and regulatory contexts where controls must be implemented to prevent unwanted outcomes.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "inhibit" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "inhibit"
-bit sounds
-dit sounds
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