Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

instigator

/ˈɪnstəˌɡeɪtɚ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.66 in modern English

Syllables
in-sti-gat-or
IPA
/ˈɪnstəˌɡeɪtɚ/
11
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
4
Syllables
8
Unique Chars

Meaning

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Latin īnstīgātor (“stimulator”), from īnstīgāre (present infinitive of īnstīgō (“to incite, set on, stimulate, rouse or urge”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *(s)teyg- (“to be sharp, to stab; to puncture; to goad”)) + -or (from -ō (suffix forming masculine agent nouns), from Proto-Indo-European *-h₃onh₂- (suffix forming nouns denoting authority or burden)); cognate with French instigateur. By surface analysis, instigate + -or.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: īnstīgātor, *(s)teyg-, *-h₃onh₂-

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈɪnstəˌɡeɪtɚ/
  • British English: /ˈɪnstɪɡeɪtə/

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Questions

How do you pronounce instigator?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈɪnstəˌɡeɪtɚ/.
What does instigator mean?
A person who intentionally instigates, incites, or starts something, especially one that creates trouble.
Where does instigator come from?
It is traced to Latin.

How to pronounce instigator

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