How to pronounce delirious
Say it like dih-LIR-ee-us. Delirious has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (LIR).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce delirious. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- dih
- LIR
- ee
- us
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Delirious pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- dihKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- LIRSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- 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 delirious
American and British speakers say delirious in essentially the same way: /dɪˈlɪriəs/ in the US and /dɪˈlɪəriəs/ in the UK.
British respelling: dih-LEER-ree-us.
What does delirious mean?
- Being in the state of delirium.
- Having uncontrolled excitement; ecstatic.“delirious with joy”
Where does delirious come from?
From delirium + -ous; see also Latin delirus (“silly, doting, crazy”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with delirious
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of delirious.
Questions about saying delirious
How do you pronounce delirious?
Say dih-LIR-ee-us. The American pronunciation is /dɪˈlɪriəs/. In British English it is /dɪˈlɪəriəs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in delirious?
Delirious has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (LIR). Broken into parts: dih · LIR · ee · us.
Do Americans and Brits say delirious the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /dɪˈlɪriəs/ and the British form is /dɪˈlɪəriəs/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.