2 syllables: in, stinct. Stress on in.
IN-stingkt
/ˈɪnstɪŋkt/
instinct is pronounced IN-stingkt (/ˈɪnstɪŋkt/). It has two syllables (in-stinct), with the stress on "in". An innate, often automatic impulse to act or think in a particular way, not learned through deliberate instruction. It describes internal drives that guide behavior, feeling predisposing responses before conscious analysis. In usage, it frequently appears as an instinct to protect, survive, or react quickly in a given situation.
An innate, often automatic impulse to act or think in a particular way, not learned through deliberate instruction. It describes internal drives that guide behavior, feeling predisposing responses before conscious analysis. In usage, it frequently appears as an instinct to protect, survive, or react quickly in a given situation.
"Her instinct told her to check the door before leaving the house."
"Athletes rely on their instinct to react faster than they can reason."
"The detective followed his instinct and found the missing clue."
Pronounce as IN-stinkt, with primary stress on the first syllable. IPA US/UK/AU: /ˈɪn.stɪŋkt/. The first vowel is a short lax /ɪ/, the second syllable has /stɪŋk/ with a clear /ŋk/ cluster ending. The t is unreleased in many casual contexts, so you may hear /-ɪŋkt/ or a light t release depending on register. Practice by starting with a crisp /t/ before the final /ŋk/ blend, then ease into a light glottal stop if your dialect often drops /t/.
Two common errors: (1) Misplacing the /ɪ/ between syllables, making /ˈɪn.stɪnkt/ sound like /ˈɪn.stɪnkt/ rather than /ˈɪn.stɪŋkt/; ensure the /ŋ/ belongs to the second syllable. (2) Pronouncing /t/ clearly at the very end in fast speech; often the final /t/ is unreleased or softened, sometimes sounding like /-t̚/ or /-ʔ/. Correction: keep the final consonant lightly released or glottalized, focusing on the /ŋk/ cluster before the voiceless stop.
US/UK/AU share the /ˈɪn.stɪŋkt/ skeleton. Differences emerge in vowel quality: US tends to a slightly tenser /ɪ/ in the first syllable; UK might have a crisper /ɪ/ with more clipped /t/ in rapid speech; AU often merges some features, with a more open /ɪ/ and a softer /t/ or glottal stop depending on tempo. The rhoticity isn’t a factor here since /ɪ/ is unaffected by rhotic vowels; focus on final /ŋkt/ blend and whether the final /t/ is released or elided.
The main challenge is the final /ŋkt/ cluster: blending a velar nasal /ŋ/ with a voiceless velar plosive /k/ is a tight transition; many speakers insert a vowel or insert an extra /t/—distancing from the smooth /ŋkt/. Also, unclear /ɪ/ quality between the syllables can blur the first and second syllables. Work on the exact sequence /ɪn.stɪŋkt/ with a quick, unmurmured /ŋk/ blend and minimal vowel drift between the syllables.
A distinctive feature is the tight /ŋkt/ closure at the word’s end, which creates a compact stop-like blend. When spoken in isolation, many speakers emphasize the final cluster slightly less than the preceding /stɪ/ to avoid a trailing vowel. You can maintain a crisp onset in the first syllable and avoid extra vowel epenthesis before the final consonant.
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Instinct comes from the Latin instinctus, from in- (toward) + stingere (to prick, goad). The verb instinctere meant to incite or urge. In Late Latin, instinctus described a sudden impulse or inward stimulus. The word traveled into Old French as instinct, carrying the sense of a natural impulse. In English, it emerged by the 16th century with the meaning of an inherent inclination or natural impulse, distinct from learned behavior. By the 18th and 19th centuries, the psychological sense—innate predispositions guiding action—became dominant in scientific and literary usage. Today, instinct commonly appears in psychology, biology, and everyday language, often paired with words like
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Words that rhyme with "instinct"
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