How to pronounce carious
Say it like KER-ee-us. Carious has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (KER).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce carious. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- KER
- ee
- us
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Carious pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- KERSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- eeKeep 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 carious
American and British speakers say carious in essentially the same way: /ˈkɛriəs/ in the US and /ˈkɛəriəs/ in the UK.
British respelling: KAIR-ree-us.
What does carious mean?
- Having caries (bone or tooth decay); decayed, rotten.
Where does carious come from?
From French carieux (“carious”), from carie (“decay (of bone or teeth)”) (from Latin cariēs (“rot, rottenness, corruption”), from careō (“to lack, be deprived of”), from Proto-Italic *kazēō (“to lack”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *ḱe
Words that rhyme with carious
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of carious.
Questions about saying carious
How do you pronounce carious?
Say KER-ee-us. The American pronunciation is /ˈkɛriəs/. In British English it is /ˈkɛəriəs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in carious?
Carious has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (KER). Broken into parts: KER · ee · us.
Do Americans and Brits say carious the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈkɛriəs/ and the British form is /ˈkɛəriəs/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.