How to pronounce meritorious
Say it like mer-ih-TOR-ee-us. Meritorious has five syllables, and the main stress falls on the third one (TOR).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce meritorious. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- mer
- ih
- TOR
- ee
- us
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Meritorious pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- merGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- ihKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- TORSay 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 meritorious
American and British speakers say meritorious in essentially the same way: /ˌmɛrɪˈtɔriəs/ in the US and /ˌmɛrɪˈtɔːrɪəs/ in the UK.
British respelling: mer-ih-TAW-rih-us.
What does meritorious mean?
- Deserving of merit or commendation; deserving reward.“The policeman received the Award of Meritorious Service from his grateful department.”
Where does meritorious come from?
From Middle English meritorious, borrowed between 1375 and 1425 from Latin meritōrius (“earning money”), from meritus, past participle of mereō (“to earn”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with meritorious
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of meritorious.
Questions about saying meritorious
How do you pronounce meritorious?
Say mer-ih-TOR-ee-us. The American pronunciation is /ˌmɛrɪˈtɔriəs/. In British English it is /ˌmɛrɪˈtɔːrɪəs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in meritorious?
Meritorious has five syllables, and the main stress falls on the third one (TOR). Broken into parts: mer · ih · TOR · ee · us.
Do Americans and Brits say meritorious the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˌmɛrɪˈtɔriəs/ and the British form is /ˌmɛrɪˈtɔːrɪəs/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.