Spigot is a noun referring to a faucet or valve that controls the release of liquid or gas. It denotes a threaded connector or outlet, typically on containers or pipes, through which fluid flows. In everyday usage it can also mean to release or leak quickly, though this sense is rarer and more metaphorical.
US: promote rhoticity with a stable /ɹ/ before vowels; ensure /ɪ/ remains short and /ɒ/ is backed slightly. UK: maintain clear /ɒ/ with less rhotic influence; avoid over-aspirating the final /t/. AU: prefer a shorter, more clipped /ɒ/ and a rounded, quicker /t/. Across all, keep /ɡ/ as a hard stop before the vowel; practice transitions from /ɡ/ to /ɒ/ with tight tongue contact. IPA references: /ˈspɪɡɒt/ (US/UK/AU).
"Please turn the spigot counterclockwise to stop the water from leaking."
"The old beer keg still had a stubborn spigot that wouldn’t fit properly."
"Rainwater dripped from the spigot after a heavy storm."
"They installed a leak-proof spigot to replace the worn-out valve."
Spigot comes from Middle English spigot, variant spellings spigut, from Old English spigot/a form related to spig – a small spout or point. The root idea is a pointed projection used to control the flow of liquids. The term likely derives from Germanic or Proto-Germanic roots associated with spig or spigot-like spouts, with parallels in Dutch spigot and German spigott. By the 16th–17th centuries, English borrowed and standardized the term to refer to a short pipe or stem fitted to barrels, casks, or taps. The sense expanded to include the external faucet or valve mechanism that protrudes to dispense liquid. Over time, “spigot” became a stable, general term in plumbing, beer kegs, and container fittings in North American and British English, retaining its mechanical edge and tactile imagery of a protruding, turning piece that releases contents. In modern usage, it is widely understood to be a hardware outlet with threads or a screw-on connection, distinct from interior valves or taps. First known uses appear in technical manuals and inventories in the early modern period, evolving from a descriptive term to a common noun describing a precise hardware component.
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Words that rhyme with "Spigot"
-got sounds
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Spigot is pronounced SPIG-ət, with primary stress on the first syllable. IPA US/UK/AU: /ˈspɪɡɒt/ or /ˈspɪɡ.ɒt/. The first syllable uses a short high-front vowel as in “kit,” followed by a hard G and a short, schwa-like second syllable. Keep the lips relaxed after the /ɡ/ and reduce any trailing voicing on the final /ɒt/. For audio reference, imagine a clear, clipped onset: SPIG-ot.
Two common errors are pronouncing it as SPIT-ot (confusing /ɡ/ with /t/) and saying SPY-ɡot (using a long I sound). Corrective tips: ensure the /ɡ/ is a hard g before the /ɒ/; keep the /ɪ/ short as in “kit,” not a long vowel; end with a soft /ə/ or /ɒ/ before the /t/. Practice by isolating the onset SPIG, then add the final /ət/ without devoice.
In US and UK English, the word has a clear first-syllable stress: /ˈspɪɡɒt/ with a short /ɪ/ and /ɒ/ as in “lot.” American rhoticity doesn’t alter vowel quality much here, but you may hear a slightly more pronounced /ɡ/ closure before the vowel. Australian English often features a broader /ɒ/ and a clipped final /t/, with possible non-rhotic tendencies in rapid speech, though most speakers maintain /ˈspɪɡɒt/. Overall, vowel quality and the exact vowel onset may vary, but the stress pattern remains on the first syllable across dialects.
The difficulty comes from the short, clipped /ɪ/ in the first syllable and the hard /ɡ/ before a rounded /ɒ/ in many accents, plus a final /t/ that can be unreleased in fast speech. Non-native speakers often substitute /ɡ/ with /d/ or mispronounce the second syllable as /ɪt/. To master it, practice the sequence SPIG + ot with precise tongue contact for /ɡ/ and a light, quick release into /ət/.
Is the second syllable truly a schwa in “spigot,” or is it an unstressed reduced vowel? In most native pronunciations, the second syllable is unstressed and reduced toward a schwa or a short /ɒ/ depending on accent, resulting in SPIG-ət or SPIG-ɒt. Maintain a near-central, relaxed vowel in rapid speech to avoid a full /ɒ/; this helps with natural flow, especially in connected speech.
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