/nɪˈɡlɛkts/
Say it backNeglects refers to the act of failing to give proper attention or care to someone or something, thereby allowing harm or deterioration to occur. It can describe omissions in duty, supervision, or maintenance, and implies a conscious or negligent disregard of responsibilities. In usage, it often contrasts with acts of attention or diligence, highlighting lapses in care or consideration.
- You may slip into a flat, single-syllable approximation like 'neg-l-ects'; resist by keeping two distinct syllables with proper stress on the second. - Avoid releasing the final /t/ too early; practice a crisp /t/ before /s/ to form the /ts/ cluster. - Don’t confuse /ɡl/ with /gl/ or glide; ensure /ɡ/ is a brief stop and the following /l/ is light, not a separate syllable.
"The caretaker neglects the garden, letting plants wither in the sun."
"The company faces penalties for neglecting safety protocols."
"She neglected to respond to the invitation until it was too late."
Pronounce as /nəˈɡlɛkts/ in US and UK; Australian typically /nəˈɡlɛkts/ as well. Stress is on the second syllable (ˈ) and the consonant cluster /ɡl/ links the n to the /ɛ/. Start with a schwa in the first syllable, then a clear /ɡl/ blend, a short /ɛ/ as in 'bed', and end with /kts/. Mouth positions: relax the jaw, lift the middle of the tongue to the alveolar ridge for /d/ in different forms, then release into a tight /ts/ cluster.
Common errors: misplacing stress (saying ne-GLECKTS), pronouncing the /ɡl/ as separate syllables rather than a blend, and compressing the final /ts/ into a simple /s/ or /t/. Correction: place primary stress on the second syllable /nəˈɡlɛkts/, smoothly blend /ɡ/ with /l/ to yield /ɡl/, and release the final /t/ before the /s/ to form /ts/—practice by saying neg-LECTS with a quick, single release. Use light, crisp /t/ before /s/ to avoid an aspirated, hissy ending.
US/UK/AU all share /nəˈɡlɛkts/ shape, but differences: US has a slightly darker /ɜː/ sound in some speakers? No, here /ə/ in first syllable remains schwa; UK may show a more clipped /ɡl/ release and less vowel reduction in fast speech; AU tends to be more vowel-reduced in casual speech and may emphasize the first syllable slightly more in some speakers, but the /ˈ/ stress remains on second syllable. Overall, rhotics don’t alter this word significantly, but rhythm and vowel quality vary subtly.
Three main challenges: 1) The cluster /ɡl/ requires a smooth, rapid transition from a back velar stop to a lateral /l/, which many learners split into two sounds. 2) The final /ts/ is a voiceless affricate; learners often omit the /t/ or gloss it into /s/. 3) The stress on the second syllable demands precise timing: not too stressed on the first, not reduced in casual speech. Practice with slow drills, then blend to a natural tempo, focusing on a clean /ɡl/ release and a crisp /ts/.
In rapid or casual speech, some speakers may reduce vowels slightly in the second syllable, but standard pronunciation keeps the /ɛ/ vowel clearly voiced and the second syllable stressed: ne-GLECTS. Do not reduce /ɡl/ into a lighter sound; maintain a confident /ɡl/ blend and a strong /ɛ/ before the final /kts/. This balance helps preserve intelligibility in connected speech.
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US: keep rhoticity neutral in this word; UK: accents may deliver a crisper /t/ and slightly tensed final /ts/; AU: can be vowel-reduced in initial syllable and more relaxed jaw; IPA references: US /nəˈɡlɛkts/; UK /nɪˈɡlɛkts/; AU /nɪˈɡlɛkts/. Focus on the second-syllable vowel quality and final affricate.
Neglect traces to the Latin neglegere, from ne- ‘not’ + legere ‘choose, gather, select’. The sense of failing to attend or pay attention to something emerges in Middle English via Old French neglecter and neglect, with the noun neglect deriving from Old French neglect. The original implied “to fail to choose or pay attention” and extended to duties and responsibilities. By the 15th century, neglect was used to denote failure to fulfill obligations, and over time it broadened to include physical or moral failure to care for persons or property. In modern English, neglect commonly appears as a verb (to neglect) and noun (neglect), with adjectives such as negligent and neglectful. The term also acquired specialized uses in medicine and social work (neglect of symptoms, neglect in caregiving), while retaining its core sense of omission or insufficient attention. First known use in English literature appears in early medieval texts, but the robust sense of duty-related neglect solidified in the Renaissance as governance and personal responsibility became more formalized.
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Words that rhyme with "neglects"
-cts sounds
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