Pronunciation

How to pronounce “inhibit

“inhibit” is pronounced /ˌɪnˈhɪbət/ (in-HI-buht) in American English and /ɪnhɪbɪt/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “hib”.
The sound

Say “inhibit” in 3 beats

Say it like this

inhibit

/ˌɪnˈhɪbət/

The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /ɪnhɪbɪt/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.

3 beats
  1. inɪn
  2. hibstress
  3. itbət
IPA (American)
/ˌɪnˈhɪbət/
IPA (British)
/ɪnhɪbɪt/
Respelling
in-HI-buht
Syllables
3 — in-HIB-it
Stress
Stress the second syllable: in-HIB-it. “hib” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Part of speech
verb
Difficulty
Pro — the sounds are ordinary, the rhythm is where it slips
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˌɪnˈhɪbət/

British

/ɪnhɪbɪt/

No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.

Meaning

What “inhibit” means

  1. verb

    to put down by force or authority

    suppress a nascent uprising

  2. verb

    limit the range or extent of

    Contact between the young was inhibited by strict social customs

  3. verb

    limit, block, or decrease the action or function of

    inhibit the action of the enzyme

Say it in a sentence

Cold weather can inhibit the growth of young seedlings.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

6 sounds, in the order you say them

Each sound has its own page: where the tongue goes, what it is usually confused with, and words to drill it on.

Questions

inhibit”, answered

How do you pronounce “inhibit”?

“inhibit” is pronounced /ˌɪnˈhɪbət/ (in-HI-buht) in American English and /ɪnhɪbɪt/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “hib”. Build it as in-HIB-it, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “inhibit” have?

3: in · hib · it. The beat lands on the second, “hib”.

Is “inhibit” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˌɪnˈhɪbət/ (in-HI-buht); British English says /ɪnhɪbɪt/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “inhibit” mean?

As a verb: to put down by force or authority For example: “suppress a nascent uprising” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “inhibit”?

Stress the second syllable: in-HIB-it. “hib” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “inhibit” and see every sound

Record it once and sayit lines your audio up against the target sound by sound — what landed, what slipped, and what it sounded like instead.