2 syllables: Un, do. Stress on do.
uhn-DOO
/əˈndu/
Undo is pronounced uhn-DOO (/əˈndu/). It has two syllables (Un-do), with the stress on "do". Undo is a verb meaning to reverse or cancel a previous action or result. It denotes restoring a prior state, often by negating a change, removing damage, or reversing an outcome. In everyday use, it can describe undoing a mistake, undoing a selection, or undoing a decision, typically implying a corrective action.
verbUndo is a verb meaning to reverse or cancel a previous action or result. It denotes restoring a prior state, often by negating a change, removing damage, or reversing an outcome. In everyday use, it can describe undoing a mistake, undoing a selection, or undoing a decision, typically implying a corrective action.
How to Pronounce Undo
"She used a trick to undo the knot and free the string."
"If you want to undo the edits, you can press Ctrl+Z."
"The manager tried to undo the contract's terms.”"
Pronounce it as un-DO with the main stress on the second syllable: /ʌnˈduː/ in US English, /ənˈduː/ in UK English, and /ənˈduː/ in Australian English. Start with a quick, relaxed /ʌ/ or /ə/ vowel, then the /n/ immediately adding the second syllable with a long /uː/ sound. The mouth closes into a rounded vowel for the /duː/ and the tongue rises toward the soft palate. Audio references: you can hear /ʌnˈduː/ in most English pronunciation resources or dictionary pronunciations (Cambridge, Oxford) and in native speaker clips on platforms like Forvo or YouGlish.
Common errors: (1) misplacing stress (saying un-DO with weak second syllable) and (2) shortening the /duː/ to /du/ or /duh/. Correction: keep the long /uː/ in the second syllable and ensure the /d/ is released with a clean stop before the long vowel. Finally, avoid reducing the first syllable too much; use a crisp /ʌ/ or /ə/ then glide into /n/ without linking to the /d/.
In US English, /ʌnˈduː/ with a distinct rhotic accent and clear /d/ release before a long /uː/. UK English tends toward /ənˈdjuː/ or /ənˈduː/ with a lighter /d/ and a possible /j/ offglide in some speakers, giving a subtle /dj/ transition. Australian English usually mirrors US/UK with /ənˈduː/ and a rounded, slightly centralized vowel in some contexts. The critical feature is the second-syllable long /uː/ and stress on -DO.
The difficulty comes from the two-syllable stress pattern with primary stress on the second syllable and maintaining a crisp /d/ release into a long /uː/. Learners often shorten /ˈduː/ or reduce the first syllable, making it sound like un-DO rather than un-DO. Also, the transition between /n/ and /d/ requires precise tongue positioning—alveolar /n/ with a clean stop before the /d/—which some learners find challenging.
Yes. In Undo, the prefix un- forms the first syllable /ʌn/ (or /ən/ in unstressed contexts). It is not silent or merged with the root. The stress falls on the second syllable /ˈduː/, so you pronounce the two syllables clearly: /ʌnˈduː/ or /ənˈduː/. The un- part should be light but audible, with a short, relaxed vowel, then release into the strong second syllable.
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Undo comes from the negative prefix un- + do, forming a compound meaning ‘not do’ or ‘reverse the doing.’ Historically, the verb do traces to Old English don (West Saxon dyn, dón) with Germanic roots, related to Latin facere and Greek poiein through later borrowings, reflecting a broad Indo-European verb meaning ‘to perform, create, or execute.’ The sense of negating or reversing a previous action emerged in Middle English as compounds like undoen or un-done, gradually coalescing into the modern form undo. The word’s semantic field expanded with computing and digital editing in the 20th century, where “undo” became a standard command to reverse the last action (e.g., in text editors). Today, undo is a versatile verb used in physical, legal, technical, and digital contexts, retaining its core sense of reversing prior actions while adopting specialized meanings in software and workflows.
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Words that rhyme with "Undo"
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