2 syllables: Ne, glect. Stress on glect.
nuh-GLEKT
/nəˈɡlɛkt/
Neglect is pronounced nuh-GLEKT (/nəˈɡlɛkt/). It has two syllables (Ne-glect), with the stress on "glect". Neglect is a noun meaning the act or state of not giving proper attention or care to someone or something. It can also refer to the fact of failing to do something required or expected. In everyday use, it conveys a sense of omission or disregard that can have consequences, often discussed in contexts like care, duty, or urban planning.
nounNeglect is a noun meaning the act or state of not giving proper attention or care to someone or something. It can also refer to the fact of failing to do something required or expected. In everyday use, it conveys a sense of omission or disregard that can have consequences, often discussed in contexts like care, duty, or urban planning.
- You may under-emphasize the second syllable, making it sound like ne-GLekt; fix by practicing with the word in phrases that place stress clearly on GLECT (e.g., ne-GLECT of attention). - The /ɡl/ cluster can blur; rehearse the sequence with minimal pairs: “gl-” as a single, fluid onset, not two separate sounds. - Final /t/ can be unreleased in fast speech; practice a crisp, audible /t/ or a light stop to avoid slurring into the following word. - Don’t overpronounce the initial vowel; keep it a quick schwa or short /ɪ/ depending on dialect. Remember, the key is the second syllable stress and crisp end. I.e., ne-GLECT, not NÉG-lEKT or NEG-lect.”
How to Pronounce Neglect
"The village faced neglect of its aging infrastructure, leading to frequent power outages."
"Her neglect of daily duties resulted in missing deadlines and damaged trust."
"The patient suffered due to medical negligence and neglect by the staff."
Pronounce as n-uh-GLEKT, with primary stress on the second syllable. IPA US/UK/AU: /nəˈɡlɛkt/. Start with a soft, neutral 'n' followed by a schwa or reduced vowel, then a clear /ɡl/ cluster and a final /ɛkt/. Keep the /t/ crisp but not explosive; this is a neutral, non-emphatic end. When you say it in context, you’ll place the emphasis on the second syllable: ne- GLECT. Audio examples exist on pronunciation resources to hear the exact mouth shapes.
Common errors: (1) Slurring the /ɡl/ cluster into a single sound or mispronouncing as ne-GET; (2) Tensing the final /t/ or dropping it, yielding ne-glek; (3) Misplacing stress, saying NE-glect instead of ne-GLECT. Correction: keep soft onset for /n/ with a light schwa /ə/ in the first syllable, ensure the /ɡ/ is clearly followed by /l/ (avoid vowel reduction in the second syllable), and deliver a crisp /t/ at the end without adding extra vowel. Practice with minimal pairs and emphasize the second syllable.
In US English, /nəˈɡlɛkt/ with rhotic influence (the /r/ is not present here). In UK English, /nɪˈɡlɛkt/ or /nəˈɡlɛkt/ with slightly shorter first vowel and more clipped final /t/. Australian English typically /nɪˈɡlɛkt/ with light non-rhoticity and a compact /ə/ or /ɪ/ in the first syllable. The critical point is the stress on the second syllable and a crisp /t/; vowel quality varies subtly by region but remains coherent across dialects.
The difficulty lies in the consonant cluster /ɡl/ after the unstressed first syllable and the final /t/ often absorbed or unreleased in rapid speech. The second-syllable stress requires a precise vowel quality /ɛ/ and a clean onset of /ɡl/ without intruding vowels. Speakers often misplace the stress or mispronounce the /ɡ/ as a /d/ or drop the /l/ in fast speech. Focusing on the /ɡl/ sequence and crisp final /t/ helps maintain accuracy.
Unique to neglect is the subtle, almost invisible /ə/ in the first syllable that should not be pronounced as a separate long vowel. Keep the first syllable quick and light: n-ə-. The emphasis and clarity come from the second syllable: -GLECT. Visualize the mouth: lips relaxed, tongue blade close to the alveolar ridge for /n/ and /l/, then pull air for /ɡ/ and release with /t/. This helps you lock in the precise rhythm and avoid mispronouncing as ne-glect or ne-glect.
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- US: /nəˈɡlɛkt/ with neutral /ə/ in first syllable; keep rhoticity out of that word. Vowels tend to be mid-front /ɛ/. - UK: /nɪˈɡlɛkt/ or /nəˈɡlɛkt/, slightly shorter first vowel; final /t/ can be released or unreleased depending on region. - AU: /nɪˈɡlɛkt/ with a more centralized first vowel and crisp /t/. Emphasize the second syllable and the /ɡl/ cluster. IPA references: US /nəˈɡlɛkt/, UK /nɪˈɡlɛkt/, AU /nɪˈɡlɛkt/. - Common collocations: neglect of duty, neglectful, neglecting, neglectful attitude. - Practical tip: practice with slow, then speed up while maintaining second-syllable stress.
Neglect traces to the Old French neglech, meaning ‘not pledged’ or ‘not engaged,’ from neg- ‘not’ + le grp of ligature early forms related to ‘belonging’ or ‘obligation.’ The English noun neglect emerged in the 14th–15th centuries, initially tied to neglect of duties or obligations. By Middle English usage, it signified failure to attend to someone or something that required care. Over time, the sense broadened to include the failure to perform required tasks, and later to the condition of being overlooked or ignored in various contexts (law, health, infrastructure). The word’s semantic trajectory reflects social expectations: neglect implies a lapse of duty or attention that warrants concern or remedy. Its pronunciations aligned with typical stress on the second syllable in many uses, but the noun form generally follows a trochaic pattern in speech. First known uses appear in legal and religious texts, with documented usage in policy and social commentary by the early modern period, cementing its role in both everyday and formal discourse.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Neglect" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Neglect"
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