How to pronounce poisonous
Say it like POY-zuh-nus. Poisonous has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (POY).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce poisonous. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- POY
- zuh
- nus
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Poisonous pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- POYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "oy" in boy.
- zuhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- nusKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of poisonous
American and British speakers say poisonous in essentially the same way: /ˈpɔɪzənəs/ in the US and /ˈpɔɪzənəs/ in the UK.
British respelling: POY-zuh-nus.
What does poisonous mean?
- having the qualities or effects of a poison
- not safe to eat
- marked by deep ill will; deliberately harmful“poisonous hate”“venomous criticism”
Where does poisonous come from?
From Middle English poisounous, poysonouse.
Questions about saying poisonous
How do you pronounce poisonous?
Say POY-zuh-nus. The American pronunciation is /ˈpɔɪzənəs/. In British English it is /ˈpɔɪzənəs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in poisonous?
Poisonous has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (POY). Broken into parts: POY · zuh · nus.
Do Americans and Brits say poisonous the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈpɔɪzənəs/ and the British form is /ˈpɔɪzənəs/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.