2 syllables: O, mit. Stress on mit.
oh-MIT
/oʊˈmɪt/
Omit is pronounced oh-MIT (/oʊˈmɪt/). It has two syllables (O-mit), with the stress on "mit". Omit is a transitive verb meaning to leave out or exclude something, either deliberately or unintentionally, from a set, list, or consideration. It often implies an intentional act of omission, though it can be due to oversight. This word is common in formal writing and analytical speech where completeness or thoroughness is contrasted with omission.
verbOmit is a transitive verb meaning to leave out or exclude something, either deliberately or unintentionally, from a set, list, or consideration. It often implies an intentional act of omission, though it can be due to oversight. This word is common in formal writing and analytical speech where completeness or thoroughness is contrasted with omission.
- Omit is often mis-stressed as OM-it (stress on the first syllable). Correct by practicing the two-syllable rhythm: o-MIT with clear secondary beat on the first syllable and a crisp final /t/. - Some learners lengthen the first vowel: avoid saying /ˈoʊmɪt/ with an elongated first vowel; keep /oʊ/ compact and move quickly to /mɪt/. - Some confuse with “omit” and “emit” in listening; differentiate by listening for the /mɪt/ part and final /t/. Practice with minimal pairs and context sentences to cement the pattern.
How to Pronounce Omit
"The editor decided to omit several sentences from the draft to improve clarity."
"In her recipe, she chose to omit salt to keep the flavors delicate."
"He unintentionally omitted his middle name on the form."
Omit is pronounced o-MIT, with the primary stress on the second syllable. In IPA for US/UK/AU, it is /oʊˈmɪt/ (US) and /əˈmɪt/ (UK/AU). Start with a long 'o' sound, then a quick 'mit' with a short, lax /ɪ/ and a final crisp /t/. You’ll hear the 'm' and 't' share a clean boundary, no extra vowel after the /t/. Try saying “oh-MIT” clearly, keeping the mouth rounded for the first syllable and relaxed for the second.
Common errors include misplacing stress (saying O-mit instead of o-MIT) and mispronouncing the vowel in the first syllable. Some learners insert an extra syllable as in o-O-mit or produce a clipped /ɪ/ too long, making it sound like ‘omm-it.’ To correct this, practice the two-syllable rhythm with clear secondary beat on the first syllable and a sharp /t/ at the end. Focus on maintaining a relaxed jaw for the /ɪ/ and avoid turning the second syllable into a schwa-enabled dull sound.
In US English, the first syllable carries primary stress subtly with a longer diphthong /oʊ/ and a light /t/ final. UK and Australian variants typically reduce the initial vowel to a schwa /ə/ in unstressed positions, yielding /əˈmɪt/ with strong final /t/. Rhoticity doesn’t affect this word much, but the duration of the first vowel can vary slightly: US often maintains a fuller /oʊ/, UK/AU lean to a shorter /ə/. The consonant cluster remains straightforward across accents, but overall vowel quality shifts subtly.
The difficulty lies in the two-syllable rhythm and the short, lax /ɪ/ in the second syllable combined with a clean voiceless /t/. Learners may add an extra vowel, say o-MI-it, or turn it into a prolonged vowel. The near-minimal pair confusion with 'emit' (/ɪˈmɪt/ in many contexts) adds to the challenge when listening in fast speech. Focusing on the precise stress on the second syllable and a crisp /t/ will reduce common slip-ups and help you distinguish it from similar words.
A noteworthy feature is the fixed stress on the second syllable, regardless of adjacent words, which can be subtle in fluent speech. Additionally, the initial vowel often sounds like a rounded /oʊ/ in American accents when preceding a stressed syllable, but many non-US speakers default to a reduced /ə/ in other accents. Paying attention to the subtle vowel color before the stressed /mɪt/ helps distinguish omit from similar verbs and improves intelligibility in formal speech.
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- US: vowels often carry a fuller /oʊ/ before the stressed /mɪt/; keep the mouth rounded at the start and quickly relax for /mɪt/. The final /t/ is unreleased in rapid speech, so aim for a crisp but not aspirated closure. IPA reference: /oʊˈmɪt/. - UK: initial vowel can be more centralized to /ə/, giving /əˈmɪt/. The /t/ remains clear; avoid overt rhoticity changes. IPA: /əˈmɪt/. - AU: similar to UK, with slight vowel flattening and non-rhotic tendencies; maintain /əˈmɪt/ and clear final /t/. IPA: /əˈmɪt/. - General tip: keep the first syllable lighter than you might expect, then deliver the stressed second syllable with crisp plosive /t/ to avoid a trailing vowel.
Omit traces to the Latin verb omittere, from ob- (toward, away) + mittere (to send). In Latin, mittere carried senses of sending or letting go; ob- + mittere produced omittere, meaning to send away, to let go, or to overlook. The term entered Old French as omettre and later Middle English as omiten or omit, influenced by Latin scholarly and legal language. The sense shifted over centuries toward the modern English “leave out” or “exclude” in both writing and reasoning contexts. By the 15th–16th centuries, omit appears in legal and ecclesiastical Latin paraphrases adopted into English, retaining its core meaning of deliberately not including something. In contemporary usage, omit commonly appears in editing, instruction, and everyday speech to indicate an intentional or inadvertent exclusion. Historically, precision in usage rose with critical writing, where omissions could impact argument validity or textual integrity. First known English attestations appear in early modern texts discussing revision, with “omit” as a compact verb for strategic exclusion in manuscripts and later printed works.
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Help others use "Omit" correctly by contributing grammar tips, common mistakes, and context guidance.
💡 These words have similar meanings to "Omit" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Omit" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Omit"
-mit sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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