How to pronounce horrendous
Say it like hor-EN-dus. Horrendous has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (EN).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce horrendous. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- hor
- EN
- dus
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Horrendous pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- horGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "aw" in law.
- ENSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- dusKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of horrendous
American and British speakers say horrendous in essentially the same way: /ˌhɔˈrɛndəs/ in the US and /hɒˈrɛndəs/ in the UK.
British respelling: ho-REN-dus.
What does horrendous mean?
- Extremely bad; awful; terrible.“There was horrendous carnage at the scene of the plane crash.”
Where does horrendous come from?
Borrowed from Latin horrendus, future passive participle (gerundive) of horreō (“to dread”) + -ous.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with horrendous
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of horrendous.
Questions about saying horrendous
How do you pronounce horrendous?
Say hor-EN-dus. The American pronunciation is /ˌhɔˈrɛndəs/. In British English it is /hɒˈrɛndəs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in horrendous?
Horrendous has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (EN). Broken into parts: hor · EN · dus.
Do Americans and Brits say horrendous the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˌhɔˈrɛndəs/ and the British form is /hɒˈrɛndəs/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.