How to pronounce "minute" in EnglishNoun
ˈmɪnɪt
MIH·nit
Primary stress: MIH
Hear native speakers say minute in context across real video clips
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Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “minute”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
MIH
Elevated pitch, sustained vowel length, and full acoustic clarity.
nit
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
Primary emphasis falls on the first syllable ("MIH"). 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.
In natural sentences, avoid over-stressing "minute" unless it conveys the core contrast or focal point of your message.
Authentic Spoken Quotes from Native Video Context
“minute let that soak in all right yes so so in a way it's it's it's not based on”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“minute because I just looked down I was feeling so joyful and I noticed I am in alignment”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“minute the or the dueling kinds of housing crisis it isn't binary though right there's there's perhaps some”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“minute I refuse to do that or how did you relate to Hamlet as you wrote this?”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“minute they were in plainclothes, and the next minute they were suddenly in these giant ballgowns.”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“minute episodes I swore I would never bring this to TV um but then I became”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
Practice Speaking “minute”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
minute let that soak in all right yes so so in a way it's it's it's not based on
Hear it in context: “minute”
29,828 clipsThe English word “minute” is transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as ˈmɪnɪt (phonetic respelling: MIH-nit). Phonologically, it consists of 2 syllables (MIH · nit), with primary lexical stress placed on the 1st (initial) syllable (MIH). Grammatically, “minute” functions as a noun, verb, adjective and acts as an English heteronym where syllable stress shifts between noun (initial-syllable stress) and verb (second-syllable stress) usage. SayItVid indexes 29,828 authentic English video clips demonstrating how native speakers articulate “minute” in natural connected speech across American (US: 8 sampled), British (UK), and Australian (AUS) accents.
Spoken Video Transcripts & Contextual Quotes (5 Verified Clips)
- 🇺🇸 USClip #1 · @25:51
“Abraham Lincoln vampire Hunter so take a minute let that soak in all right yes so so in a way it's it's it's not based on so in a way it's it's it's not based on”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #2 · @22:06
“I'm going to talk about posture for a minute because I just looked down I was feeling so joyful and I noticed I am in alignment feeling so”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #3 · @42:38
“stick with the housing crisis for a minute the or the dueling kinds of housing crisis it isn't binary though right there's there's perhaps some housing crisis it isn't binary though”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #4 · @10:17
“narrative or you know and and like oh I'm supposed to do this now and wait a minute I refuse to do that or how did you relate to Hamlet as you wrote this? I've always been close to that play anyway and I recently reread it and it”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #5 · @41:03
“Fairy Godmother had these huge transformations where one minute they were in plainclothes, and the next minute they were suddenly in these giant ballgowns. minute they were suddenly in these giant ballgowns.”
Definition & Meaning: “minute”
- A unit of time which is one sixtieth of an hour (sixty seconds).
- A short but unspecified time period.
- Of an event, to write in a memo or the minutes of a meeting.
- To set down a short sketch or note of; to jot down; to make a minute or a brief summary of.
- Very small.
- Very careful and exact, giving small details.
Example Sentences (3)
- “Holonyms: hectosecond < kilosecond < hour < day < week < megasecond < fortnight < month < year < gigasecond < century < kiloannum, kiloyear, millennium < terasecond < mega-annum, megayear < petasecond < giga-annum, gigayear < exasecond < zettasecond < yottasecond < ronnasecond < quettasecond”
- “give me a minute”
- “minute let that soak in all right yes so so in a way it's it's it's not based on”
Common Phrases & Collocations
Pronounce: “minute”
- Pronunciation:
- MIH-nit
- Syllables:
- MIH · nit
- Written Hyphenation:
- min · ute
- Primary stress:
- MIH
- IPA:
- ˈmɪnɪt
- Hear it in context
- minute
Synonyms: “minute”
Hear words related in meaning to “minute” in real video clips:
Words that Rhyme with “minute”
-ɪnɪtWords that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"minute" (⁄ˈmɪnɪt⁄) 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, "minute" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about minute
How do you pronounce “minute”?
“minute” is pronounced ⁄ˈmɪnɪt⁄ (MIH-nit). Listen to the native-speaker clips above to hear it in real conversation.
How many syllables are in “minute”?
“minute” has 2 syllables: MIH · nit.
Where is the stress in “minute”?
The primary stress in “minute” is on “MIH”. Listen for that stressed syllable in the clips above.
What does “minute” mean?
A unit of time which is one sixtieth of an hour (sixty seconds).
How can I hear “minute” used in real sentences?
This page has 29828 real-world video examples of “minute” with synchronized subtitles. Use Previous / Next (or ← / → keys) to hear each one at the exact moment it is spoken.
What is the most common pronunciation mistake when saying “minute”?
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].