How to pronounce prosperous
Say it like PROS-puh-rus. Prosperous has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (PROS).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce prosperous. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- PROS
- puh
- rus
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Prosperous pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- PROSSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ah" in father.
- puhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- rusKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of prosperous
- The short o is rounded in British English (as in "hot"), but open and unrounded in American English.
British respelling: PROS-puh-rus.
What does prosperous mean?
- in fortunate circumstances financially; moderately rich“they were comfortable or even wealthy by some standards”“easy living”
- very lively and profitable“flourishing businesses”“a palmy time for stockbrokers”
- marked by peace and prosperity“a golden era”“the halcyon days of the clipper trade”
Where does prosperous come from?
From Middle French prospereus, from Old French prosperer, from Latin prosperō (“to cause to succeed”), from Old Latin pro spere (“according to expectation”), from pro (“for”) + spes (“hope”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying prosperous
How do you pronounce prosperous?
Say PROS-puh-rus. The American pronunciation is /ˈprɑspərəs/. In British English it is /ˈprɒspərəs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in prosperous?
Prosperous has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (PROS). Broken into parts: PROS · puh · rus.
Is prosperous pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. The short o is rounded in British English (as in "hot"), but open and unrounded in American English. The British form is /ˈprɒspərəs/ (PROS-puh-rus).