How to pronounce nefarious
Say it like nuh-FER-ee-us. Nefarious has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (FER).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce nefarious. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- nuh
- FER
- ee
- us
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Nefarious pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- nuhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- FERSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- 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 nefarious
American and British speakers say nefarious in essentially the same way: /nəˈfɛriəs/ in the US and /nɪˈfɛəriəs/ in the UK.
British respelling: nih-FAIR-ree-us.
What does nefarious mean?
- Sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics.“Aliens have a nefarious connotation in many science fiction books.”
Where does nefarious come from?
From Latin nefārius (“execrable, abominable”), from nefās (“something contrary to divine law, an impious deed, sin, crime”), from ne- (“not”) + fās (“the dictates of religion, divine law”), which is related to Latin for (“to speak, to say”)
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with nefarious
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of nefarious.
Questions about saying nefarious
How do you pronounce nefarious?
Say nuh-FER-ee-us. The American pronunciation is /nəˈfɛriəs/. In British English it is /nɪˈfɛəriəs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in nefarious?
Nefarious has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (FER). Broken into parts: nuh · FER · ee · us.
Do Americans and Brits say nefarious the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /nəˈfɛriəs/ and the British form is /nɪˈfɛəriəs/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.