4 syllables: In, teg, ri, ty. Stress on teg.
in-TEG-ruh-tee
/ˌɪˈntɛɡɹəti/
Integrity is pronounced in-TEG-ruh-tee (/ˌɪˈntɛɡɹəti/). It has four syllables (In-teg-ri-ty), with the stress on "teg". Integrity refers to the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles that guide one’s actions. It also conveys wholeness and coherence, indicating that all parts of something fit together as they should. In everyday use, it describes a person’s reliability, trustworthiness, and adherence to ethical standards across situations.
nounIntegrity refers to the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles that guide one’s actions. It also conveys wholeness and coherence, indicating that all parts of something fit together as they should. In everyday use, it describes a person’s reliability, trustworthiness, and adherence to ethical standards across situations.
"Her integrity earned her the respect of colleagues and clients alike."
"The engineer checked the design for integrity before proceeding with the project."
"Maintaining academic integrity means avoiding plagiarism and citing sources properly."
Integrity is pronounced in-TÉG-ri-ty with primary stress on the second syllable. Use the IPA /ɪnˈtɛɡ.rɪ.ti/ (US/UK) and /ɪnˈtɛɡ.rɪ.ti/ (AU often mirrors UK). Start with /ɪn/ as in in, then a crisp /ˈtɛɡ/ cluster where the t is released into /ɛ/; follow with /rɪ/ and end with /ti/ as two quick, light syllables. Place your tongue high for the /ɪ/ and /ɛ/ vowels, relax the jaw for /ɡ/ and /r/, and finish with a clear /ti/.” ,
Common mistakes include flattening the middle syllable to /tæɡ/ or misplacing stress as in-in-TEG-ri-ty, and running the final /ti/ together with the preceding consonant, producing /ti/? . Correction: keep primary stress on the second syllable, ensure a clean /t/ release into /ɛ/ (not /æ/), and keep the final /ti/ distinct with a light touch on the t followed by a crisp i. Practicing with minimal pairs like ‘tug’ vs ‘tag’ for the middle consonant helps prevent slurring.
In US and UK, the vowels in the second syllable stay with /ɛ/ and the /r/ is pronounced in US accents but not in most UK non-rhotic varieties; AU tends to be non-rhotic like UK but with slightly more vowel warmth. The primary stress remains on the second syllable; the /ɡ/ is a hard g, not a soft or nasal variant. Expect slight differences in the preconsonantal vowel length and the rhoticity, with US often rhotic and AU more rhotic in some speakers depending on region.
The difficulty comes from the multi-syllabic structure and the cluster /tɛɡr/ followed by a quick /ɪ.ti/ ending. The /ɡr/ consonant cluster requires precise tongue contact and a clean release into a light /ɪ/ and final /ti/. Additionally, the second syllable carries the primary stress, which can be misassigned in rapid speech, and speakers often run the final /ti/ together with the preceding syllable. Focus on isolating /tɛɡ/ and then delivering /rɪ.ti/ clearly.
Is the /ɡ/ audible before the /r/ in integrity, or does some speakers assimilate it? In careful speech, you hear the /ɡ/ clearly before the /r/ as /ɡr/; in faster speech some speakers may assimilate slightly, but standard speech keeps a distinct /ɡ/ release before the /r/. Focus on avoiding a /ɡr/ blend into /ɡr/ and maintain a separate /ɡ/ release before /r/.
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US: rhotic, more American vowel raising in /ɪ/ before nasal or liquid; clear /r/ and a robust /ɡ/. UK: non-rhotic, postvocalic /r/ not pronounced; ensure non-rhoticity while keeping /ɡr/ sequence clear. AU: often non-rhotic as UK but with slightly broader vowel sounds; maintain clear /ɪ/ and crisp /tɛɡ/ with a non-rhotic /r/ in many contexts. IPA references: /ɪnˈtɛɡ.rɪ.ti/ (US,UK), /ɪnˈtɛɡ.rɪ.ti/ (AU). Focus on keeping /t/ aspirated then a hard /g/ before /r/ and final /ti/ countdown.
Integrity derives from the Latin integritas, frominteger, meaning whole, intact. Integritas itself comes from the Latin integer, meaning whole or untouched. The word entered English via Old French into Middle English, carrying the sense of wholeness or completeness. Historically, integrity emphasized the state of being undivided in spirit or character, aligning with concepts of moral soundness and completeness of a system. By the 14th–15th centuries, integrity began to be used more in ethical contexts—describing individuals who preserved a consistent and unbroken standard of conduct. Over time, the term broadened in common usage to include the idea that a person’s actions align with stated values, and that something possesses internal coherence or structural soundness. In modern use, integrity is invoked across ethics, professional standards, personal consistency, and even structural or material soundness in engineering and design, though the moral sense remains predominant in everyday speech. First known uses in English appear in ethical writings of the late medieval period, with more explicit social and professional connotations appearing in early modern discourse as societies formalized codes of conduct. Today, integrity is a staple concept in leadership, governance, education, and personal development, frequently paired with accountability and transparency.
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Words that rhyme with "Integrity"
-ity sounds
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