3 syllables: Re, pro, bate. Stress on Re.
REP-raw-bayt
/ˈɹɛpɹɔbeɪt/
Reprobate is pronounced REP-raw-bayt (/ˈɹɛpɹɔbeɪt/). It has three syllables (Re-pro-bate), with the stress on "Re". Reprobate (noun): a disreputable or morally unprincipled person; someone condemned as unworthy by society. Outside religious contexts it can refer to a habitual offender or wicked person. Used in literary or formal discourse, it often carries a pejorative nuance or moral judgment.
nounReprobate (noun): a disreputable or morally unprincipled person; someone condemned as unworthy by society. Outside religious contexts it can refer to a habitual offender or wicked person. Used in literary or formal discourse, it often carries a pejorative nuance or moral judgment.
How to Pronounce Reprobate
"The villain turned out to be a reprobate who cared little for the law or the common good."
"He dismissed the reformer's pleas as the rants of a reprobate with no regard for virtue."
"In the sermon, the townspeople spoke of him as a reprobate, beyond redemption in their eyes."
US/UK/AU pronunciation centers stress on the second syllable: re-PROB-ate (IPA US: riˈprɒb.eɪt or ˈriːprəˌbeɪt depending on dialect; UK: ˈrɛprəˌbeɪt; AU: ˈɹiːˌpɒːˈbeɪt). Start with /ri/ as in 'reed,' then /ˈprɒb/ or /ˈprɒbɪt/ depending on accent, ending with /eɪt/ as in 'bate.' Ensure your mouth opens slightly for the vowel in the second syllable and finish with a clean /eɪt/. Listen for a slight vowel reduction in rapid speech in US varieties.
Common errors: (1) Misplacing stress, pronouncing re- as the stressed syllable; (2) Slurring the /prə/ or /ˈprɒb/ cluster, turning it into a flat 'r-pro-bate' or 're-pruh-bate' without the strong /ɒ/ or /ɔ/ quality. Correction: emphasize the second syllable with a clear /prɒb/ or /prɒbə/ depending on dialect, and ensure the final /eɪt/ is crisp. Practice by isolating /ˈprɒb/ and then blending into the final /eɪt/.
US tends to have /riˈprɑːbeɪt/ or /ˈriːprəˌbeɪt/, with rhotic r and a broad /ɒ/ or /ɑː/ in the second syllable; UK typically uses /ˈrɛprəˌbeɪt/ with a non-rhotic accent and a reduced second vowel; Australian often blends toward /ˈriːprəˌbeɪt/ with a longer first vowel and a clear /eɪt/ at the end. The differences hinge on rhoticity, the vowel quality in the second syllable, and the degree of hiatus between syllables.
The difficulty comes from the two- to three-syllable structure with a stressed second syllable and a final /eɪt/ that can be realized as /eɪt/ or /ət/ in connected speech. The /pr/ cluster after the initial syllable requires precise articulatory timing to avoid a slurred /prə/. Additionally, the vowel in the second syllable can vary: /ɒ/ vs /ə/ depending on accent, which affects rhythm and intelligibility.
Yes: the strong secondary stress pattern in some readings and the contrastive vowel quality in the second syllable. You’ll often hear the word as re-PROB-ate with perceptible emphasis on the second syllable and a crisp /beɪt/ ending. Paying attention to the contrast between /ɒ/ (British-style) and /ə/ or /ɒ/ (American styles) will help you match native timing and rhythm.
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Reprobate comes from the Latin reprobatus, the past participle of reprobare, meaning 'to disallow, condemn, reject, or refute.' The Latin term is formed from re- (back, again) and probare (to prove or test). In classical Latin, reprobare meant to condemn or prove unworthy; by extension it carried the sense of being rejected or deemed morally corrupt. The word entered English via late Latin and Old French, with early printed uses appearing in the 14th–15th centuries in theological and moral discourse to denote individuals who were rejected by divine or moral judgment. Over time, reprobate also took on secular literary flavor, often describing a notoriously immoral or unscrupulous person, not merely someone morally ambiguous but decidedly condemned. In 17th–18th century English religious and satirical writing, reprobate referred to characters deliberately rejecting virtue or divine grace. The modern usage remains anchored in moral judgment, frequently implying habitual wickedness or venality, and is most often found in formal, literary, or religious contexts. Today, the term can be used with a hint of arch or ironic humor in fiction, or as a pointed moral indictment in sermons and polemics. First known attestations in Middle English and Early Modern English reflect its long-standing association with judgment and social condemnation.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Reprobate" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Reprobate"
-ate sounds
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