How to pronounce fruitless
Say it like FROOT-lus. Fruitless has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (FROOT).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce fruitless. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- FROOT
- lus
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Fruitless pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- FROOTSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "oo" in food.
- lusKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of fruitless
American and British speakers say fruitless in essentially the same way: /ˈfrutləs/ in the US and /ˈfruːtləs/ in the UK.
British respelling: FROOT-lus.
What does fruitless mean?
- Bearing no fruit; barren.
- Unproductive, useless.“The unskilled man’s attempt at fixing his car engine was fruitless.”
- Of a diet, etc.: without fruit.
Where does fruitless come from?
Inherited from Middle English fruytles; equivalent to fruit + -less.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with fruitless
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of fruitless.
Questions about saying fruitless
How do you pronounce fruitless?
Say FROOT-lus. The American pronunciation is /ˈfrutləs/. In British English it is /ˈfruːtləs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in fruitless?
Fruitless has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (FROOT). Broken into parts: FROOT · lus.
Do Americans and Brits say fruitless the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈfrutləs/ and the British form is /ˈfruːtləs/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.