How to pronounce conscious
Say it like KON-shus. Conscious has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (KON).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce conscious. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- KON
- shus
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Conscious pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- KONSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ah" in father.
- shusKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of conscious
- The short o is rounded in British English (as in "hot"), but open and unrounded in American English.
British respelling: KON-shus.
What does conscious mean?
- intentionally conceived“a conscious effort to speak more slowly”“a conscious policy”
- knowing and perceiving; having awareness of surroundings and sensations and thoughts“remained conscious during the operation”“conscious of his faults”
- (followed by of) showing realization or recognition of something“few voters seem conscious of the issue's importance”“conscious of having succeeded”
Where does conscious come from?
First use appears c. 1573 in the sense of "aware of wrongdoing".https://web.archive.org/web/20220714064352/https://www.lexico.com/definition/conscious From Latin cōnscius (“conscious, conscious of guilt”), itself from con- (a form of com- (
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Questions about saying conscious
How do you pronounce conscious?
Say KON-shus. The American pronunciation is /ˈkɑnʃəs/. In British English it is /ˈkɒnʃəs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in conscious?
Conscious has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (KON). Broken into parts: KON · shus.
Is conscious 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 /ˈkɒnʃəs/ (KON-shus).