How to pronounce chaos
Say it like KAY-ahs. Chaos has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (KAY).
VoiceSpeed
US American/ˈkeɪɑs/KAY-ahs
UK British/ˈkeɪɒs/KAY-os
- KAY
- ahs
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Tip: The ch is a k sound: 'KAY-oss'.
Chaos pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- KAYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
- ahsKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ah" in father.
American vs British pronunciation of chaos
- The short o is rounded in British English (as in "hot"), but open and unrounded in American English.
British respelling: KAY-os.
What does chaos mean?
noun
- The unordered state of matter in classical accounts of cosmogony.
- Any state of disorder; a confused or amorphous mixture or conglomeration.“to descend into chaos”
- A behavior of iterative nonlinear systems in which arbitrarily small variations in initial conditions become magnified over time.
Where does chaos come from?
In Early Modern English, used in the sense of the original Greek word.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
- disorder
- pandemonium
- bedlam
- topsy-turvydom
- topsy-turvyness
Questions about saying chaos
How do you pronounce chaos?
Say KAY-ahs. The American pronunciation is /ˈkeɪɑs/. In British English it is /ˈkeɪɒs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in chaos?
Chaos has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (KAY). Broken into parts: KAY · ahs.
Is chaos pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. The short o is rounded in British English (as in "hot"), but open and unrounded in American English. The British form is /ˈkeɪɒs/ (KAY-os).