How to pronounce mysterious
Say it like mih-STEER-ee-us. Mysterious has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (STEER).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce mysterious. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- mih
- STEER
- ee
- us
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Mysterious pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- mihKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- STEERSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- 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 mysterious
American and British speakers say mysterious in essentially the same way: /mɪˈstɪriəs/ in the US and /mɪˈstɪəriəs/ in the UK.
British respelling: mih-STEER-ee-us.
What does mysterious mean?
- of an obscure nature“the new insurance policy is written without cryptic or mysterious terms”“a deep dark secret”
- having an import not apparent to the senses nor obvious to the intelligence; beyond ordinary understanding“mysterious symbols”“the mystical style of Blake”
Where does mysterious come from?
From Middle English *misterius (implied in misteriusly), probably partly from Middle French mystérieux and partly from Latin mystērium + -ous.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with mysterious
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of mysterious.
Questions about saying mysterious
How do you pronounce mysterious?
Say mih-STEER-ee-us. The American pronunciation is /mɪˈstɪriəs/. In British English it is /mɪˈstɪəriəs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in mysterious?
Mysterious has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (STEER). Broken into parts: mih · STEER · ee · us.
Do Americans and Brits say mysterious the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /mɪˈstɪriəs/ and the British form is /mɪˈstɪəriəs/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.