How to pronounce mischievous
Say it like MIS-chuh-vus. Mischievous has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (MIS).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce mischievous. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- MIS
- chuh
- vus
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Tip: Three syllables: 'MISS-chuh-vus'. There is no 'ee-us' at the end.
Mischievous pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- MISSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- chuhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- vusKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of mischievous
American and British speakers say mischievous in essentially the same way: /ˈmɪstʃəvəs/ in the US and /ˈmɪstʃɪvəs/ in the UK.
British respelling: MIS-chih-vus.
What does mischievous mean?
- Causing mischief; injurious.
- Troublesome, cheeky, badly behaved, impish, naughty, disobedient; showing a fondness for causing trouble in a playful way and liking to have fun by playing harmless tricks on people or doing things they are not supposed to do.“Matthew had a twin brother called Edward, who was always mischievous and badly behaved.”
Where does mischievous come from?
From Middle English myschevous, mischevous, from Anglo-Norman meschevous, from Old French meschever, from mes- (“mis-”) + chever (“come to an end”) (from chef (“head”)).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying mischievous
How do you pronounce mischievous?
Say MIS-chuh-vus. The American pronunciation is /ˈmɪstʃəvəs/. In British English it is /ˈmɪstʃɪvəs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in mischievous?
Mischievous has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (MIS). Broken into parts: MIS · chuh · vus.
Do Americans and Brits say mischievous the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈmɪstʃəvəs/ and the British form is /ˈmɪstʃɪvəs/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.