How to pronounce laborious
Say it like luh-BOR-ee-us. Laborious has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (BOR).
- luh
- BOR
- ee
- us
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Laborious pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- luhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- BORSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "aw" in law.
- eeKeep 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 laborious
American and British speakers say laborious in essentially the same way: /ləˈbɔriəs/ in the US and /ləˈbɔːriəs/ in the UK.
British respelling: luh-BAW-ree-us.
What does laborious mean?
- Requiring much physical effort; toilsome.
- Mentally difficult; painstaking.
- Industrious.
Where does laborious come from?
From Old French laborios, from Latin laboriosus.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
- painstaking
- toilsome
- worksome
- painful
- arduous
- backbreaking
- grueling
- gruelling
Words that rhyme with laborious
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of laborious.
Questions about saying laborious
How do you pronounce laborious?
Say luh-BOR-ee-us. The American pronunciation is /ləˈbɔriəs/. In British English it is /ləˈbɔːriəs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in laborious?
Laborious has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (BOR). Broken into parts: luh · BOR · ee · us.
Do Americans and Brits say laborious the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ləˈbɔriəs/ and the British form is /ləˈbɔːriəs/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.