How to pronounce illustrious
Say it like il-UHS-tree-us. Illustrious has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (UHS).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce illustrious. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- il
- UHS
- tree
- us
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Illustrious pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- ilGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- UHSSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "u" in cup.
- treeKeep 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 illustrious
American and British speakers say illustrious in essentially the same way: /ˌɪˈlʌstriəs/ in the US and /ɪˈlʌstrɪəs/ in the UK.
British respelling: ih-LUHS-trih-us.
What does illustrious mean?
- Admired, distinguished, respected, or well-known.
Where does illustrious come from?
From Latin illūstris (“bright, shining; distinguished, prominent, illustrious”) + -ous (suffix forming adjectives from nouns, to denote possession or presence of a quality in any degree).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with illustrious
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of illustrious.
Questions about saying illustrious
How do you pronounce illustrious?
Say il-UHS-tree-us. The American pronunciation is /ˌɪˈlʌstriəs/. In British English it is /ɪˈlʌstrɪəs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in illustrious?
Illustrious has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (UHS). Broken into parts: il · UHS · tree · us.
Do Americans and Brits say illustrious the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˌɪˈlʌstriəs/ and the British form is /ɪˈlʌstrɪəs/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.