3 syllables: in, hib, its. Stress on hib.
in-HIB-uhts
/ˌɪˈnhɪbəts/
inhibits is pronounced in-HIB-uhts (/ˌɪˈnhɪbəts/). It has three syllables (in-hib-its), with the stress on "hib". Inhibits means to prevent or restrain an action or process, especially by applying a constraint or obstacle. In everyday use, it describes something that curbs activity or progress, typically in a way that reduces likelihood or intensity. The term is common in science, psychology, and law, referring to mechanisms that restrict behavior or development.
Inhibits means to prevent or restrain an action or process, especially by applying a constraint or obstacle. In everyday use, it describes something that curbs activity or progress, typically in a way that reduces likelihood or intensity. The term is common in science, psychology, and law, referring to mechanisms that restrict behavior or development.
- I be tense: You might pronounce it like 'in-HY-bits' with the wrong vowel in the second syllable. Correct by keeping the stress on /ˈhɪ/ and reducing the influence of the first syllable's vowel. - Final consonant trouble: Many speakers turn /ts/ into /t/ or /s/ or even /tɪz/. Practice by releasing the /t/ into a crisp /s/ for the affricate. - Linking in rapid speech: In fast talk, people might slur /n/ into /h/ or drop the /n/ entirely. Keep a light alveolar nasal before the aspirated /h/.
"The new policy inhibits the spread of misinformation by requiring accurate tagging."
"Certain medications inhibit the enzyme, slowing down the reaction."
" Fear can inhibit expressive performance, making it hard to perform confidently."
Pronounced /ɪnˈhɪbɪts/. The stress is on the second syllable: in-HIB-its. Begin with a short, lax vowel /ɪ/ as in bit, then the /h/ is aspirated. The second syllable starts with /hɪ/ and the main vowel is /ɪ/. End with /ts/ (voiceless alveolar affricate). Tip: keep the /n/ light and let the /h/ flow into /ɪ/ without a vowel gap.
Common errors: 1) Misplacing the stress, producing in-HI-bits with wrong emphasis. 2) Slurring or dropping the /t/ at the end, giving /ɪnˈhɪbɪz/ or /ɪnˈhɪbɪts/ with a z instead of ts. 3) Not releasing the final /ts/ as a crisp affricate. Correction: clearly release to a t-s sound /ts/, keep the tongue at the alveolar ridge for the /t/ and immediately voice the /s/ as a voiceless sibilant to form /ts/.
In US and UK, the core is /ɪnˈhɪbɪts/. The main difference is rhoticity: US speakers are rhotic; the /r/ is not involved here, but in connected speech US intonation may influence vowel length slightly. UK speakers maintain non-rhoticity overall but since there is no /r/ here, differences are mainly in vowel quality and pitch. Australian English keeps /ɪ/ vowels similar to UK/US but with a more centralized or flattened vowel quality and sometimes a longer intonation. Overall, the vowel quality in the stressed /ˈhɪ/ syllable remains consistent across accents; the final /ts/ is often realized with a sharp affrication in all three, though some speakers may produce a voiceless /t/ with less aspiration.
Two main challenges: the cluster /bɪt/ in the final syllable followed by /s/ creates a tight, quick transition that can blur the /t/ and /s/ into /tɪz/ for some speakers. The second challenge is the stress timing: keeping the primary stress on /ˈhɪ/ while quickly articulating /bɪts/ requires precise timing and muscle coordination. Practice with minimal pairs and slowed syllable drills to separate the 'hib' and the 'its' parts, ensuring a crisp alveolar stop and clear sibilant.
The word contains two consecutive vowels around the /b/ consonant in some rapid pronunciations, but the standard form has a clean /ɪ/ vowel before /n/ and the /h/ breath before /ɪ/. So, focus on a clean transition: /ɪn/ + /ˈhɪ/ + /bɪts/. The unique aspect is the tense, brief release at the /b/ followed by a quick /ɪ/ and then the voiceless /ts/. Ensure you keep the tongue high for /ɪ/ and avoid interposing extra vowel sounds between /n/ and /h/.
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- US: Clear rhotic neutralization doesn't apply here, focus on the strong /ɪ/ in the second syllable and a crisp /t/ + /s/ at the end. - UK: Slightly shorter /ɪ/ vowels, keep the final /ts/ crisp and aspirated lightly. - AU: Slightly longer vowel on the stressed /ɪ/ and a more relaxed mouth position, but maintain a crisp final /ts/. IPA references: US /ɪnˈhɪbɪts/, UK /ɪnˈhɪbɪts/, AU /ɪnˈhɪbɪts/.
Inhibits comes from the Latin inhibere, meaning to hold back, restrain, or restrain from acting. Inhibere itself derives from in- (in, toward) + habere (to have, hold). The word entered English via Old French inflibir/inhier, evolving in specialized scientific and legal vocabulary around the 16th–17th centuries as scholars described biological, psychological, and legal restraints. The general sense of “to prevent or restrain” broadened to everyday use in the 19th and 20th centuries, with notable prominence in physiology and psychology where researchers discuss inhibitors of enzymes, hormones, or behaviors. By the mid-20th century, inhibits appeared as the standard verb form in scientific writing, with its noun form inhibition becoming common as a technical term. The three-part form in- + hib- reflects the base habere “to hold,” while the modern pronunciation settled into /ɪnˈhɪbɪts/ in most dialects, with minor allophonic variation by region.
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Words that rhyme with "inhibits"
-its sounds
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