How to pronounce abstemious
Say it like ab-STEE-mee-us. Abstemious has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (STEE).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce abstemious. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- ab
- STEE
- mee
- us
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Abstemious pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- abKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
- STEESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- meeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- usKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of abstemious
American and British speakers say abstemious in essentially the same way: /æbˈstimiəs/ in the US and /æbˈstiːmɪəs/ in the UK.
British respelling: ab-STEE-mih-us.
What does abstemious mean?
- Refraining from freely consuming food or strong drink; sparing in diet; abstinent, temperate.
- Sparing in the indulgence of the appetite or passions.
- Sparingly used; used with temperance or moderation.
Where does abstemious come from?
From Latin abstēmius (“abstaining from wine”); from ab, abs (“from”) + tēmus, a root of tēmētum (“intoxicating drink, especially strong mead or wine”) (possibly from Proto-Indo-European *temH- (“dark (referring to the color of wine)”)) + -ous.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying abstemious
How do you pronounce abstemious?
Say ab-STEE-mee-us. The American pronunciation is /æbˈstimiəs/. In British English it is /æbˈstiːmɪəs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in abstemious?
Abstemious has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (STEE). Broken into parts: ab · STEE · mee · us.
Do Americans and Brits say abstemious the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /æbˈstimiəs/ and the British form is /æbˈstiːmɪəs/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.