How to pronounce gladiolus
Say it like glad-ih-OH-lus. Gladiolus has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the third one (OH).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce gladiolus. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- glad
- ih
- OH
- lus
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Gladiolus pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- gladKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
- ihKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- OHSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "o" in go.
- lusKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of gladiolus
- The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh".
British respelling: glad-ih-OH-lus.
What does gladiolus mean?
- The center part of the sternum.
- Any of several flowering plants, of the genus Gladiolus, having sword-shaped leaves and showy flowers on spikes; gladiola.
Where does gladiolus come from?
Learned borrowing from Latin gladiolus (“little sword, sword lily”), diminutive of gladius (“sword”).
Words that rhyme with gladiolus
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of gladiolus.
Questions about saying gladiolus
How do you pronounce gladiolus?
Say glad-ih-OH-lus. The American pronunciation is /ɡlædɪˈoʊləs/. In British English it is /ɡlædɪˈəʊləs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in gladiolus?
Gladiolus has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the third one (OH). Broken into parts: glad · ih · OH · lus.
Is gladiolus pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh". The British form is /ɡlædɪˈəʊləs/ (glad-ih-OH-lus).