Unintelligible describes speech or writing that cannot be understood due to unclear articulation, complexity, or ambiguity. It signals a lack of intelligibility to the listener, often because sounds, words, or syntax are obscured. In expert contexts, it may refer to signals, data, or communications that fail to convey meaning clearly, requiring clarification or decoding.
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"Her field notes were unintelligible to anyone outside the team, making replication difficult."
"The recording was so garbled that the dialogue was almost unintelligible."
"The professor found the handwritten solution unintelligible, obscured by sloppy handwriting."
"During the lecture, the student’s rapid, mumbled pacing rendered the answer unintelligible to the rest of the class."
Unintelligible derives from the prefix un- (not) + intelligible (capable of being understood). Intelligible comes from Latin intelligibilis, from intelligere “to understand, discern,” itself composed of inter- (between, among) and legere (to pick out, read). The unfurled sense in English solidified in the 17th century, with intelligible entering Middle English via Old French intelligible from Latin roots. The prefixed negative un- dates to Old English, yielding unintelligible in the 17th–18th centuries as specialized scientific and technical discourse expanded. The term cemented its modern sense—speech or writing that cannot be understood—through 18th–20th century usage in law, linguistics, and philosophy, where precision of communication matters and obscure expression is noted and critiqued.
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Words that rhyme with "unintelligible"
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Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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- Pronounce as /ˌʌnˌɪnˈtɛlɪdʒəbl̩/. The main stress falls on the third syllable: un-in-TEL-li-ge-ble, with secondary stress to the preceding prefix. Start with /ʌ/ as in “strut,” move to /ɪ/ in “kit,” then /nˈtɛl/ where /t/ and /l/ blend, followed by /ɪ/ and /dʒə/ (like “gentle” without the n), and finish with /bl̩/ or a light syllabic l. Think of it as: un-in-TEL-li-ge-ble. Audio reference: consult well-known dictionaries or pronunciation platforms for the exact sound, then mimic the rhythm of the three-beat stress pattern.
Common errors include: 1) Misplacing the stress, saying un-in-TE-li-gi-ble or un-in-tel-LI-gible; ensure primary stress on TEL. 2) Slurring /tʃ/ into /tʃe/ or mispronouncing the /dʒ/ as /j/; the /dʒ/ in -dʒə- should be a compact affricate, not a hard /j/; practice /tʃ/ and /dʒ/ separately before blending. 3) Over-resonating the /ɪ/ in the middle syllables; keep a clear /ɛ/ in /ˌtɛlɪ/ instead of a lax /ɪ/.
In US, the /ˌʌnˌɪnˈtelɪdʒəbl̩/ keeps a rhotic /r/ absent in the syllables, with a relatively flat 'er' sound. UK often features a slightly sharper /ə/ in unstressed syllables and crisper /t/; syllables may feel tighter, but the core /dʒ/ stays, with non-rhotic tendencies. Australian tends to a more centralized vowel in /ˌʌnɪnˈtelɪdʒəbl̩/ and a slightly softer /ɜː/ alignment, but the stress pattern remains TEL as primary; the /t/ can be more aspirated. Always listen to a native model in each region.
Key challenges include: 1) Long multisyllabic structure with multiple consonant clusters (/nˈtɛlɪdʒ/ and /dʒə/), which can blur together. 2) The /ˌʌnˌɪn/ sequence, with a quick transition from /ʌ/ to /ɪ/, plus a secondary stress leading to reduced clarity. 3) The /dʒ/ consonant in -dʒə-/ is a voiced palato-alveolar affricate requiring precise tongue blade positioning against the palate. Practicing slow, segmented drills helps solidify each phoneme before speed.
A distinctive feature is the suffix -g-ble, where the bɫ̩ or bl̩ may appear as a soft syllabic l after /dʒə/. Focus on keeping the /l/ light and not introducing a vowel between /dʒ/ and /bl̩/. The primary stress sits on TEL, guiding your rhythm. Practicing with a slow rhythm provides a stable template to carry into faster speech.
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