How to pronounce ambitious
Say it like am-BISH-us. Ambitious has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (BISH).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce ambitious. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- am
- BISH
- us
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Ambitious 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.
- BISHSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- usKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of ambitious
American and British speakers say ambitious in essentially the same way: /æmˈbɪʃəs/ in the US and /æmˈbɪʃəs/ in the UK.
British respelling: am-BISH-us.
What does ambitious mean?
- having a strong desire for success or achievement
- requiring full use of your abilities or resources“ambitious schedule”“performed the most challenging task without a mistake”
Where does ambitious come from?
From Middle English ambitious, from Middle French ambitieus, from Latin ambitiosus, from ambitio; see ambition.
Words that rhyme with ambitious
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of ambitious.
Questions about saying ambitious
How do you pronounce ambitious?
Say am-BISH-us. The American pronunciation is /æmˈbɪʃəs/. In British English it is /æmˈbɪʃəs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in ambitious?
Ambitious has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (BISH). Broken into parts: am · BISH · us.
Do Americans and Brits say ambitious the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /æmˈbɪʃəs/ and the British form is /æmˈbɪʃəs/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.