How to pronounce boisterous
Say it like BOY-stuh-rus. Boisterous has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (BOY).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce boisterous. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- BOY
- stuh
- rus
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Boisterous pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- BOYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "oy" in boy.
- stuhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- rusKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of boisterous
American and British speakers say boisterous in essentially the same way: /ˈbɔɪstərəs/ in the US and /ˈbɔɪstərəs/ in the UK.
British respelling: BOY-stuh-rus.
What does boisterous mean?
- Full of energy; exuberant; noisy.
- Characterized by violence and agitation; wild; stormy.
- Having or resembling animalic exuberance.
Where does boisterous come from?
From Middle English boistres, an alteration of Middle English boistous (“crude, unrefined”), of uncertain origin.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying boisterous
How do you pronounce boisterous?
Say BOY-stuh-rus. The American pronunciation is /ˈbɔɪstərəs/. In British English it is /ˈbɔɪstərəs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in boisterous?
Boisterous has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (BOY). Broken into parts: BOY · stuh · rus.
Do Americans and Brits say boisterous the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈbɔɪstərəs/ and the British form is /ˈbɔɪstərəs/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.