How to pronounce gracious
Say it like GRAY-shus. Gracious has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (GRAY).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce gracious. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- GRAY
- shus
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Gracious pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- GRAYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
- shusKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of gracious
American and British speakers say gracious in essentially the same way: /ˈɡreɪʃəs/ in the US and /ˈɡreɪʃəs/ in the UK.
British respelling: GRAY-shus.
What does gracious mean?
- characterized by charm, good taste, and generosity of spirit“gracious even to unexpected visitors”“gracious living”
- characterized by kindness and warm courtesy especially of a king to his subjects“our benignant king”
- exhibiting courtesy and politeness“a nice gesture”
Where does gracious come from?
From Middle English gracious, from Old French gracieus, from Latin gratiosus, from gratia (“esteem, favor”).
Words that rhyme with gracious
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of gracious.
Questions about saying gracious
How do you pronounce gracious?
Say GRAY-shus. The American pronunciation is /ˈɡreɪʃəs/. In British English it is /ˈɡreɪʃəs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in gracious?
Gracious has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (GRAY). Broken into parts: GRAY · shus.
Do Americans and Brits say gracious the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈɡreɪʃəs/ and the British form is /ˈɡreɪʃəs/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.