Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

intellect

/ˈɪntəˌlɛkt/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.49 in modern English

Syllables
in-tel-lect
IPA
/ˈɪntəˌlɛkt/
11
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
3
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The faculty of thinking, judging, abstract reasoning, and conceptual understanding; the cognitive faculty.

Uncountable

noun

The capacity of that faculty (in a particular person).

Uncountable

noun

A person who has that faculty to a great degree.

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin intellēctus (“understanding, intellect”), from Latin intellegō (“understand; reason”), from inter (“between, among”) + legō (“read”), with connotation of bind.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: *leǵ-, intellēctus, intellegō

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈɪntəˌlɛkt/
  • British English: /ˈɪntəlɛkt/

Usage

Inflected Forms

intellects (plural)

Derived Forms

artilect intellected superintellect

Frequently Paired Words

intellectual intellectualism intellectualize intelligence intelligent intelligentsia intelligible mind

Synonyms

brain brains cleverness head brightness esprit intellect intelligence mind nous psyche reason

Questions

How do you pronounce intellect?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈɪntəˌlɛkt/.
What does intellect mean?
The faculty of thinking, judging, abstract reasoning, and conceptual understanding; the cognitive faculty.
Where does intellect come from?
It is traced to Latin.

How to pronounce intellect

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “intellect”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈɪntəˌlɛkt/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “intellect”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “intellect” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.