2 syllables: nau, ghty. Stress on nau.
NAW-tee
/ˈnɔti/
naughty is pronounced NAW-tee (/ˈnɔti/). It has two syllables (nau-ghty), with the stress on "nau". Naughty is an adjective meaning morally inappropriate or mischievous, often describing someone who behaves badly in a playful or teasing way. It conveys disapproval, yet can carry a lighthearted or teasing tone in informal contexts. The word typically refers to minor misbehaviors rather than serious wrongdoing, and its nuance balances mischief with flirtatious or cheeky undertones depending on context.
Naughty is an adjective meaning morally inappropriate or mischievous, often describing someone who behaves badly in a playful or teasing way. It conveys disapproval, yet can carry a lighthearted or teasing tone in informal contexts. The word typically refers to minor misbehaviors rather than serious wrongdoing, and its nuance balances mischief with flirtatious or cheeky undertones depending on context.
"The child drew a naughty picture on the wall but laughed when caught."
"She gave a naughty wink, hinting at a playful secret."
"Don’t be naughty—eat your vegetables and listen to your teacher."
Pronounce it /ˈnɔː.di/ in US and UK typical speech. The first syllable has the stressed open back rounded vowel /ɔː/ similar to 'north' without the r-coloring, followed by a clear /d/; the second syllable is a long 'ee' sound /i/. Place the tongue low-mid back, lips rounded for the /ɔː/; the /d/ is a simple-alveolar stop with a brief stop release, and end with a steady /i/ vowel. In Australian speech you’ll hear a similar /ˈnɔːti/ but with less vowel length in fast speech; keep the /ɔː/ quality while avoiding detaching the second syllable too long. Audio references: you can verify with Cambridge or Oxford dictionary audio pronunciations.
Common errors include misplacing the stress or making the first vowel too short or too fronted. People often reduce /ɔː/ to /ɒ/ or merge /ɔː/ with /ɑ/ in some accents, resulting in /ˈnɒ.di/ or /ˈnæti/. Another frequent mistake is pronouncing the second syllable as /ɪ/ or /i/ without maintaining the length of /iː/. Correction: keep stress on the first syllable and prolong /ɔː/ before the /d/; articulate the /d/ clearly with a short release, then end with a crisp /i/ in /di/.
US: typically /ˈnɔːdi/, with a broad /ɔː/ approximate to 'aw' in 'north'; UK: often /ˈnɔːti/ with a longer /i/ in some dialects; AU: similar to UK, but vowel rounding and diphthong dynamics can shift slightly toward /ɔː/ with a shorter final /i/ in casual speech. Rhoticity: US is rhotic, so rhotic coloring after the vowel in related words isn’t present here, as /nɔːdi/ is not followed by /r/. Across accents, the key differences are vowel quality in the first syllable and the length of the final vowel; the consonant /d/ is typically a clear alveolar stop in all three.
The challenge lies in the long open-mid back vowel /ɔː/ and its perception in different accents, plus the sequence of a voiced stop /d/ followed by the close front vowel /i/ /iː/. Speakers with vowel reduction tendencies may shorten /ɔː/ or blend it with /ɒ/ or /ɑ/. The transition from /ɔː/ to /d/ requires precise timing so the /d/ is released clearly before the final /i/. Finally, maintaining a light, non-drawn-out quality in casual speech can be tricky when the word sits in fast sentences.
In phrases like 'naughty step' or 'naughty boy,' the word often reduces slightly in quick speech; the /ɔː/ may become a more centralized vowel, and the /di/ may blend toward a quicker, lighter stop-fricative transition. Stress remains on the first syllable, but connected speech can make the /ˈnɔː.di/ sequence sound almost like /ˈnɔːdi/ with a flapped or softer /d/ in rapid contexts. Listen to native speaker phrases for rhythm cues and practice with minimal pairs to preserve the clear /d/ release.
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US: keep rhoticity absent here; focus on a broader /ɔː/ and a crisp /d/ with a clear /i/. UK: lengthened /ɔː/ with less rhotic resonance; AU: more reduced final vowel and quicker transitions; IPA references for all: /ˈnɔːdi/. General tip: relax jaw, keep tongue low and back for /ɔː/, then lift tongue to contact the alveolar ridge for /d/ and glide into /i/.
Naughty comes from Middle English nath (scornful, disagreeable) blended with -ty, forming an adjective meaning 'evil' or 'bad.' The sense expanded in Early Modern English to describe disobedient or troublesome behavior in children and later adults. The word likely derives from Old English gehæft? but the prevailing link is to nath meaning 'unpleasant' or 'contrary.' By the 16th–17th centuries, naughty had acquired connotations of mischief and impiety, shifting toward lighthearted misbehavior in social play. Over time, the word settled into contemporary use to describe minor, cheeky, or disobedient actions without grave intent, often carrying humor or flirtation depending on tone and context.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "naughty" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "naughty"
-hty sounds
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