How to pronounce indigenous
Say it like in-DIJ-uh-nus. Indigenous has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (DIJ).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce indigenous. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- in
- DIJ
- uh
- nus
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Indigenous pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- inGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- DIJSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- uhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- nusKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of indigenous
American and British speakers say indigenous in essentially the same way: /ˌɪnˈdɪdʒənəs/ in the US and /ɪnˈdɪdʒənəs/ in the UK.
British respelling: in-DIJ-uh-nus.
What does indigenous mean?
- originating where it is found“the autochthonal fauna of Australia includes the kangaroo”“autochthonous rocks and people and folktales”
Where does indigenous come from?
Borrowed from Late Latin indigenus (“native, born in a country”), from indi- (indu-), an old derivative of in (“in”), gen- the root of gignō (“give birth to”), and English -ous.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying indigenous
How do you pronounce indigenous?
Say in-DIJ-uh-nus. The American pronunciation is /ˌɪnˈdɪdʒənəs/. In British English it is /ɪnˈdɪdʒənəs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in indigenous?
Indigenous has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (DIJ). Broken into parts: in · DIJ · uh · nus.
Do Americans and Brits say indigenous the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˌɪnˈdɪdʒənəs/ and the British form is /ɪnˈdɪdʒənəs/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.