How to pronounce ambiguous
Say it like am-BIG-yoo-us. Ambiguous has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (BIG).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce ambiguous. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- am
- BIG
- yoo
- us
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Ambiguous pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- amKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
- BIGSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- yooKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "oo" in food.
- usKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of ambiguous
American and British speakers say ambiguous in essentially the same way: /æmˈbɪɡjuəs/ in the US and /æmˈbɪɡjuəs/ in the UK.
British respelling: am-BIG-yoo-us.
What does ambiguous mean?
- open to two or more interpretations; or of uncertain nature or significance; or (often) intended to mislead“an equivocal statement”“the polling had a complex and equivocal (or ambiguous) message for potential female candidates”
- having more than one possible meaning“ambiguous words”“frustrated by ambiguous instructions, the parents were unable to assemble the toy”
- having no intrinsic or objective meaning; not organized in conventional patterns“an ambiguous situation with no frame of reference”“ambiguous inkblots”
Where does ambiguous come from?
From Latin ambiguus (“moving from side to side, of doubtful nature”), from ambigere (“to go about, wander, doubt”), from ambi- (“around, about, on both sides”) + agere (“to drive, move”).
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with ambiguous
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of ambiguous.
Questions about saying ambiguous
How do you pronounce ambiguous?
Say am-BIG-yoo-us. The American pronunciation is /æmˈbɪɡjuəs/. In British English it is /æmˈbɪɡjuəs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in ambiguous?
Ambiguous has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (BIG). Broken into parts: am · BIG · yoo · us.
Do Americans and Brits say ambiguous the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /æmˈbɪɡjuəs/ and the British form is /æmˈbɪɡjuəs/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.