How to pronounce malicious
Say it like muh-LISH-us. Malicious has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (LISH).
- muh
- LISH
- us
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Malicious pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- muhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- LISHSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- usKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of malicious
American and British speakers say malicious in essentially the same way: /məˈlɪʃəs/ in the US and /məˈlɪʃəs/ in the UK.
British respelling: muh-LISH-us.
What does malicious mean?
- having the nature of or resulting from malice“malicious gossip”“took malicious pleasure in...watching me wince”
Where does malicious come from?
From Middle English malicious, from Old French malicios, from Latin malitiōsus, from malitia (“malice”), from malus (“bad”).
Words that rhyme with malicious
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of malicious.
Questions about saying malicious
How do you pronounce malicious?
Say muh-LISH-us. The American pronunciation is /məˈlɪʃəs/. In British English it is /məˈlɪʃəs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in malicious?
Malicious has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (LISH). Broken into parts: muh · LISH · us.
Do Americans and Brits say malicious the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /məˈlɪʃəs/ and the British form is /məˈlɪʃəs/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.