How to pronounce "illegitimate" in EnglishNoun
ˌɪl.əˈdʒɪt.ə.mət
il·ə·JIT·ə·mət
Primary stress: JIT
We haven’t indexed spoken video clips for this word in our library yet. You can listen to its audio pronunciation, review phonetic IPA, and check definitions below.
No video clips indexed yet for “illegitimate”
We haven’t indexed spoken video clips for this word in our library yet. You can listen to its audio pronunciation, review phonetic IPA, and check definitions below.
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “illegitimate”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
il
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
ə
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
JIT
Elevated pitch, sustained vowel length, and full acoustic clarity.
ə
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
mət
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
Primary emphasis falls on the third syllable ("JIT"). Raise your pitch and sustain the vowel length on this syllable while relaxing the surrounding syllables.
Common Pronunciation Traps & Learner Mistakes
The Trap: Pronouncing a hard, aspirated [tʰ] in casual conversation can sound overly formal in North America.
How Native Speakers Say It: In American English, a single "t" between vowels quickly taps against the alveolar ridge like a soft "d" ([ɾ]). In British English, maintain a crisp aspirated [tʰ].
Connected Speech & Natural Conversational Flow
When followed by a vowel, insert a subtle glide (/w/ or /j/) to connect into the subsequent word without an abrupt glottal stop.
Maintain the stress-timed rhythm of English: compress unstressed syllables rapidly so the beat of "illegitimate" aligns naturally with adjacent words.
Practice Speaking “illegitimate”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
[…] it may be impossible to convince them that the illegitimate power which they obtain, by degrading themselves, is a curse […]
Hear it in context: “illegitimate”
The English word “illegitimate” is transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as ˌɪl.əˈdʒɪt.ə.mət (phonetic respelling: il-ə-JIT-ə-mət). Phonologically, it consists of 5 syllables (il · ə · JIT · ə · mət), with primary lexical stress placed on the 3rd syllable (JIT). Grammatically, “illegitimate” functions as a adjective, noun, verb and acts as an English heteronym where syllable stress shifts between noun (initial-syllable stress) and verb (second-syllable stress) usage. Hear native speakers say illegitimate in context across real video clips
Definition & Meaning: “illegitimate”
- Not conforming to known principles, or established or accepted rules or standards.
- Not in accordance with the law.
- A person born to unmarried parents.
- To make illegitimate.
Example Sentences (2)
- “[…] it may be impossible to convince them that the illegitimate power which they obtain, by degrading themselves, is a curse […]”
- “[…] if things went on at this rate it would be doubtful soon whether ever again he would be able to win another election by methods legitimate or illegitimate.”
Pronounce: “illegitimate”
- Pronunciation:
- il-ə-JIT-ə-mət
- Syllables:
- il · ə · JIT · ə · mət
- Written Hyphenation:
- il · le · git · i · mate
- Primary stress:
- JIT
- IPA:
- ˌɪl.əˈdʒɪt.ə.mət
- Hear it in context
- illegitimate
Synonyms: “illegitimate”
Hear words related in meaning to “illegitimate” in real video clips:
Words that Rhyme with “illegitimate”
-ɪtəmətWords that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"illegitimate" (⁄ˌɪl.əˈdʒɪt.ə.mət⁄) has no true homophones in standard English — there are no other words with identical pronunciation. Unlike sound-alike pairs like there / their or peace / piece, "illegitimate" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about illegitimate
How do you pronounce “illegitimate”?
“illegitimate” is pronounced ⁄ˌɪl.əˈdʒɪt.ə.mət⁄ (il-ə-JIT-ə-mət). Listen to the audio pronunciation above to hear it spoken clearly.
How many syllables are in “illegitimate”?
“illegitimate” has 5 syllables: il · ə · JIT · ə · mət.
Where is the stress in “illegitimate”?
The primary stress in “illegitimate” is on “JIT”.
What does “illegitimate” mean?
Not conforming to known principles, or established or accepted rules or standards.
What is the most common pronunciation mistake when saying “illegitimate”?
Pronouncing a hard, aspirated [tʰ] in casual conversation can sound overly formal in North America. In American English, a single "t" between vowels quickly taps against the alveolar ridge like a soft "d" ([ɾ]). In British English, maintain a crisp aspirated [tʰ].